Piero Hincapie broke down in tears on Saturday following what he expects will be his final match for Bayer Leverkusen amid interest from several Premier League clubs.
The Ecuador international centre-back played the full 90 minutes for Erik ten Hag’s side in a 2-1 loss to Hoffenheim during which Jarell Quansah scored a Bundesliga debut goal.
Hincapie, though, will leave the 2024 German champions before the end of the transfer window should everything go according to plan.
Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Deutschland reports on X: “Piero Hincapie has decided to leave Bayer 04 Leverkusen if a suitable offer arrives. The decision has been made.
“Hincapie has a release clause in his contract, as exclusively revealed, worth €60 million. Leverkusen still want to keep their 23-year-old top centre-back.”
Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs all target Hincapie
Leverkusen’s wish, though, seems unlikely to come true. Following the defeat by Hoffenheim, the player was seen in tears, suggesting that there is concrete interest in him.
Bild reports that Chelsea and Arsenal are following the position of the left-sided defender. Both clubs could be in the market for a centre-back capable of operating on that side, with the Gunners weighing up the possibility of selling Jakub Kiwior.
Fabrizio Romano has also reported that Tottenham are interested in signing Hincapie as they seek to put an end to a frustrating period in the transfer window that has seen them miss out on many of Thomas Frank’s leading targets.
Taking to YouTube, Romano said: “Piero Hincapie could be ready for an exit in the last week of the transfer window. There’s interest from the Premier League. Tottenham tried a few weeks ago, but it was not possible. Let’s follow the situation.
“There’s a lot of interest in the player. Let’s see if someone reaches the €60m. Left-footed, one of the most interesting defenders around.”
Hincapie has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €59.4m, virtually matching his release fee and making him all the more attractive to Premier League suitors.
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