According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici are exploring the idea of signing Piero Hincapie.
The Ecuadorian defender was linked to Tottenham in the summer, and after a few shaky defensive performances from the north London club, Conte is keen to bolster his backline.
According to the author of this report, Conte has actually asked Spurs to get Hincapie through the door.
Hincapie would certainly plug a gap in this team. A left-footed centre-half is what Spurs desperately need, and the Bundesliga ace is certainly a good ball player.
In fact, Hincapie is so confident in his ability on the ball that he compared his ability as a youngster to Neymar.
“I’ve always liked to play with the ball. When I started as a kid I played much more offensively, as a winger,” said Hincapie. “I used to score a lot of goals. I was like Neymar, I didn’t dribble as much as him but I was a great goalscorer. I even took free kicks! Maybe that’s why I’m now a centre-back who likes to go forward.”
Conte’s system is very much built around ball-playing defenders who have plenty of intensity, and Hincapie is certainly in that mould.
Unfortunately, the South American’s intense nature can sometimes land him in hot water.
He’s played 13 times in the league this season, and he’s been sent off twice, while he also picked up another red card at the Copa America.
It’s not hard to see why Hincapie has been compared to Cristian Romero in the past, and that makes him a great fit for this Spurs team.
However, you don’t want to overload your backline with rash defenders, but with the right coaching and refining, Hincapie could be a star at the top level.
Conte clearly wants this player, but it remains to be seen whether or not his transfer wish is granted.
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