Piero Hincapie: Tottenham's answer for the left side of their defence?

By Tom Carnduff

Football

Wed February 01, 2023 · 2y ago

Each day we pick out a player and cut through the noise to give analytical, objective insight. Monday's focus is on Piero Hincapie.

Age: 21
Position: Centre-back
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Country: Ecuador

A name that has re-emerged late into the January transfer window; Piero Hincapie's showings for Bayer Leverkusen have continued to improve following the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their head coach in October.

Excelling in a variety of defensive metrics, Hincapie already boasts 54 appearances for the German club and was a regular figure throughout the Champions League group stage, as they secured a spot in the knockouts of the Europa League.

Early disciplinary problems were one of few negatives of his overall campaign so far but even then he did bounce back - two red cards received in the first ten games of the Bundesliga season have been followed by just one yellow in seven since.

When comparing to others in his position across Europe's big five leagues, Hincapie stands out in a variety of areas. He sits in FBRef's 80th percentile or above in tackles, blocks and passes blocked.

Not only that, but his creativity is evident in how much he sits above the rest in the passing metrics too. An average of 0.10 through balls/90 puts him in the 92nd percentile, with a place in the 96th percentile for dribbles completed.

Essentially, the higher that number the better (up to 99) and it's clear that Hincapie is a solid defender with the ability to create attacks by carrying the ball out of defence and looking to play in the forward line.

His eye-catching defensive numbers are further highlighted when comparing with Tottenham's other four main centre-backs across the recent Champions League group stage.

Hincapie is well clear in the tackles per game metric, while he's firmly in the mix for interceptions. His 1.2 per game average is around the same mark as Cristian Romero and Eric Dier (both 1.3).

His versatility playing as a centre-back or left-back is another positive in an increasingly growing list, and could make him the ideal candidate to sit on the left side of a three-man defence in the Premier League.