Tottenham Hotspur once again find themselves in the race to finish in the top four of the Premier League table under Antonio Conte.
With 21 games played, the Lilywhites have won 11, drawn three and lost seven, leaving them with 36 points in fifth place.
One player that has been a prominent figure in the team at the back is Ben Davies, who has featured in 18 of Spurs’ 21 league games, scoring two goals and providing one assist along the way.
Despite the Welshman, still having over two years left on his reported £80,000-per-week contract at the north London club (as per Capology), one player that the club have been linked with that we feel could be an ideal long-term replacement for him is Piero Hincapie.
Earlier this week, German journalist Christian Falk claimed that Spurs have had their eyes on the defender all summer. The 21-year-old has made 53 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, switching between the left-back and centre-back positions.
This versatility would make him a suitable heir for Davies given how he has played in both of those positions during his time with Spurs.
Do Spurs need to strengthen their defence?
Yes
No
In terms of Hincapie’s defensive talent, with 14 Bundesliga appearances to his name this season, the Ecuadorian has made more blocks (22) than any other Leverkusen player as well as having the third-highest number of clearances (35).
This is similar to Davies’ total of 38 clearances for this campaign, leaving only three other Spurs players with more.
Described as a “charismatic” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig on Twitter, the centre-back certainly has the ability to be a good addition to Conte’s ranks, especially since they have only been able to keep six clean sheets in the league this term.
Moving forward, even though Hincapie’s contract at Leverkusen isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2026, we feel that the Tottenham hierarchy should still try and sign the defender, either before the current January transfer window closes or in the summer.