‘Only’ Newcastle United ‘could snatch’ 21-year-old in summer – Player ‘destined’ for PL

Newcastle United have been following Bayer Leverkusen star Piero Hincapié for more than a year, according to InterLive.it.

The Ecuador international has impressed at the World Cup and starred for the club since joining them in 2021. His fine displays saw the Bundesliga side reward him with a new contract [which lasts until 2027] earlier this month.

Hincapié’s price tag is now raised to €50m and the report states ‘only’ Newcastle ‘could snatch’ him by paying this fee.

Prior to signing a new deal, the centre-back was valued at €30m, which Inter Milan would have matched. The Serie A side no longer have hope of securing the player’s services after his asking price was pushed to €50m.

The 21-year-old is ‘destined for the Premier League’ where the Magpies have been looking at him for a long time. Although Xabi Alonso’s side want to retain the defender for several years, the millions Newcastle may offer could put ‘Leverkusen’s managers in crisis’.

Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have pulled out of the negotiations, giving Newcastle an easy run in chasing the South American.

With multiple factors favouring Newcastle, it’ll be interesting to see if Eddie Howe’s side will take firm steps to sign Hincapié in the summer.