Liverpool could be about to bring in a South American sensation before the end of the transfer window.
The Reds are finishing the window with what they hope will be a flourish, looking to add depth to their midfield. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joined early on in the summer before Wataru Endo was added recently in a leftfield move, when Liverpool lost out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
But with just a week left of the transfer window, the Merseysiders are looking across the side for improvements – and one defender has emerged as a target.
Fichajes via Football365 claims that Jurgen Klopp's side are prepared to "open their wallets again", as they target Bayer Leverkusen defender, Piero Hincapie.
Ecuadorian Hincapie has been operating under former Anfield hero Xabi Alonso and meets the profile of what Klopp would like in another centre-back. The 21-year-old is physical, adept in possession and left-footed, giving the German boss the option to shift captain Virgil van Dijk to the right side to cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold's inverting drifts into midfield.
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BILD, however, have poured water on the move, claiming that it would take an astronomical fee to tempt the Bundesliga outfit into selling their prized defender. Leverkusen would want to sell for around €70 million – meaning that Liverpool's modest rumoured offer of €45m will likely be batted out of hand.
Hincapie only signed a new deal in February of this year, after helping his nation to the knockout stage of the World Cup mere months prior. An expiry date on the deal of 2027 means that there's no pressure to sell unless a huge offer comes in.
Leverkusen have already sold superstar Frenchman Moussa Diaby this window to the Premier League, with Aston Villa making him their record signing at around £45m. Die Schwarzroten would be loathed to lose another star for a similar amount.
Hincapie is valued at €35m by Transfermarkt.
More Liverpool stories
Liverpool transfer news is coming thick and fast as we enter the final few weeks of the summer window.
Jurgen Klopp has opened up about the club’s decision to launch a mega-money bid for Caicedo – but the Reds manager could be on his way out of Anfield sooner than anticipated. Meanwhile, Liverpool are targeting as many as four midfielders amid their struggles in the transfer market.
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