Piero Hincapie: Who is €30m Bundesliga youngster linked to Tottenham and Everton?

Jacque Talbot

Piero Hincapie shone in the World Cup for Ecuador - but has been on the radar of some top clubs far earlier than that.

Clubs had sent a number of scouts to watch the Bayer Leverkusen defender when he was at Independiente del Valle in the Ecuadorian Serie A. He ended up moving to the Bundesliga to play for Die Schwarzroten in 2021 on a five-year deal.

Following his stellar form in Germany, the 21-year-old has been linked to Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle in recent weeks.

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But would the Ecuadorian be a suitable purchase for a Premier League outfit?

In classic Bundesliga form, Hincapie is in the 90 percentile for dribbles completed for a player in his position - doing so in 0.62 per 90.

Also per 90, he makes 0.48 key passes and 5.82 touches in the attacking third. This is a ball-playing centre-back who enjoys playing further up the pitch when the opportunity arises.

Thankfully, Hincapie is permitted to do this often as he is fairly quick and so can get up and down the pitch when his side are committing a high-line.

Hincapie - one of Europe’s most dynamic defenders

An effective passer, the left-footed Hincapie shows composure in tight areas and can make a volume of progressive balls that puts him in the 93 percentile. His passing stats are, in fact, outstanding - but part of that could be merely conducive to the Bundesliga style in general, where defenders are often asked to work hard offensively as well as defend.

The Latin American, who started his career as a full-back, typically is slotted in on the left-side of a back-three in a 3-4-3 formation.

Bayer head coach Xabi Alonso puts the likes of Jeremie Frimpong and Mitchel Bakker on the midfield flanks - but they operate as wing-backs to provide defensive cover for when Hincapie makes those darts forward: in essence, for the youngster to be able to fulfil such a role at a new club it would require a system wherein those in midfield would have to come deeper.

But alas, Hincapie’s talent isn’t merely in acting as a modern centre-back and helping his side in attack. He is an extremely capable defender. At 6 ft, he might not be the tallest player in his position but he still performs a high number of defensive actions in a game per 90 - as his blocks, tackles and passes blocked are all on the 88 percentile.

Given his experience playing on the flank, he possesses a decent ability to defend the wide spaces.

Because he’s not too comfortable in the air and lacks in winning aerial duels, Hincapie makes up for this by adopting an aggressive style. At times it pays off but sometimes he can be too rash. This season in the Bundesliga alone he has committed 16 fouls - receiving two red cards and seven yellows.

We hear that Bayer would be willing to sit down at the table with a club over a deal if it was a fee above €30m - but it might take more. It would be a bargain price for an extremely versatile player with a high ceiling.