After seemingly missing out on Roger Ibanez, Nottingham Forest should turn their attention to Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie.
The 21-year-old Ecuadorian international joined the German side back in 2021 from Talleres, making 57 appearances in the last two seasons.
His performances under boss Xabi Alonso have led to interest from sides such as Tottenham and Newcastle United but neither move materialised.
Hincapie, who was market value of €35 million, has previously been linked with Steve Cooper’s side, but no official bid was ever lodged for the youngster.
The left-footed central defender has already featured 27 times for Ecuador’s national side, including a ‘sensational‘ stint at the 2022 World Cup.
Despite his young age, he also has bags of Europa League and Champions League experience with 19 starts in both competitions over the last two campaigns.
Although he’s most comfortable on the left of a back three, Hincapie can also play as a left-back in a flat back four, an area that is notoriously troublesome for Forest.
Hincapie is known for his ball-playing ability. He likes to pick forward passes where possible, completing 1390 passes last season at a completion rate of 83%.
With Moussa Niakhate out for the next six weeks, and Felipe potentially missing, reinforcements are needed in the Forest backline.
The Ecuadorian is also very tenacious, as reflected by his 2.3 tackles per90, but also picked up 13 yellow cards this season alone.
The 21-year-old would cost at least £30 million, but would vastly improve the Reds’ defence whilst potentially being a worthwhile investment for the future.
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