Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, who is rumoured to be on Tottenham’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window, has admitted that his style of play has been likened to that of Cristian Romero.
Hincapie has had an impressive start to life in European football after moving to Leverkusen from South America last summer.
Football Insider reported earlier this month that the 20-year-old was one of the centre-backs on Tottenham’s radar ahead of the summer.
This was also backed up by Ecuadorian publication Bolavip, who subsequently claimed that Antonio Conte had taken ‘notice’ of the Leverkusen star.
However, the report explained that Spurs could face competition from the likes of AC Milan, Zenit, Sevilla, AS Roma and Napoli for the defender’s signature in the summer.
Hincapie has now been speaking about his style of play, admitting that he admires Sergio Ramos and Carlos Puyol.
The youngster told Scouted Football: “I’ve always liked to play with the ball. When I started as a kid I played much more offensively, as a winger. I used to score a lot of goals.
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“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.
“On Fridays, when we travelled by bus for seven or eight hours to play for Independiente del Valle, I watched a lot of videos of Puyol and Sergio Ramos.
“I watched the videos so I wouldn’t get bored on the bus and that’s when I realised that I really liked Puyol. He had a special way of playing, perhaps less technical than Ramos, but he was a leader and captain. One of the best centre-backs I’ve ever seen.”
Curiously, Hincapie also admitted that his brother has compared his style to Romero’s.
When asked about the Tottenham defender, he responded: “My brother tells me I’m a lot like him, I like him a lot.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Hincapie would be a natural fit at left centre-back in Conte’s back three – a position which Spurs will likely prioritise strengthening in the summer.
However, I suspect Conte would want a more experienced campaigner like Romagnoli, who would instantly improve our backline, rather than an emerging talent like Hincapie, who the Spurs boss would have to be patient with.
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