Tottenham hold talks over Bundesliga centre-back

Tottenham have reached out to Bayer Leverkusen to enquire about 21-year-old defender Piero Hincapie, 90min understands.

Spurs boss Antonio Conte is keen to bolster in defence and holds a long-standing interest in Hincapie, who has 53 appearances for the Bundesliga side to his name since he joined in the summer of 2021.

Seen by many as one of the top young centre-backs around, Hincapie has plenty of suitors and sources have confirmed to 90min that Spurs have been in touch in recent days to find out what it would take to get a deal done.

Hincapie is understood to be open to the move but Leverkusen have no desire to sell midway through the season and have put a huge valuation of €75m on the defender’s head.

Tottenham have enquired about the possibility of taking Hincapie on loan with a view to a permanent deal, but Leverkusen’s price tag will likely prove too much for Spurs.

Conte is keen to find defensive reinforcements before the winter transfer window closes in the coming days to aid his struggling back line, which has conceded 31 goals in just 21 Premier League games – only five teams in the division have a worse record.

Talks remain on for Sporting CP right-back Pedro Porro, who appeared to bid farewell to his current supporters on Saturday as Spurs continue to push for his signature.

Porro’s potential arrival could trigger the temporary departure of summer signing Djed Spence. Having joined from Middlesbrough during the summer, the right-back has been limited to just 43 minutes of action across six appearances and is now expected to be available for loan.