Lightning strikes twice as Arsenal move for yet another Tottenham transfer target

Arsenal have moved ahead of Tottenham in the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie, less than a week after completing their hijacking of the Eberechi Eze deal.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is absolutely sick of this summer transfer window. The relentless updates that offer so little, the humiliations, the false hope, etc. Spurs still have plenty to do, and we're less than a week away from the deadline.

Tottenham simply must make moves over the next few days to give Thomas Frank the best chance of success during his debut campaign. The Dane's brilliance has been on full display at the start of his tenure, and new additions Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha have made a discernible impact right away.

Two attackers, including a No. 10, are on the club's wish list, but Frank supposedly wants another defender, too. Leverkusen's Hincapie has been the only link in recent weeks on that front, and Spurs are looking to save face after Arsenal made their move.

Arsenal moving for Piero Hincapie as Spurs deny bid

There have been conflicting reports regarding the extent of our pursuit of Hincapie. Some have denied an approach, although Fabrizio Romano reported on Monday morning that we'd made a loan bid to sign the Ecuadorian.

Soon after, though, Romano and David Ornstein dropped an, unfortunately, familiar bomb. Those pesky Gunners, a club closing in on a £300m spend this summer, are at it again. They're working on a deal for Hincapie, but their pursuit is dependent on the futures of Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Arsenal are willing to buy the 23-year-old, who has a €60m release clause, permanently this summer, and the player supposedly prefers a move to the cringier side of north London.

There have seemingly been attempts from Spurs to cover up our intrigue, with the reliable Alasdair Gold writing in the wake of Romano's initial report that Hincapie "does not appear to be a potential signing at this point".

Luka Vuskovic's likely exit on loan means we are risking a crisis if we fail to land a defender, but our desperate needs further up the pitch means Frank may have to wait until January to sure up his defensive depth.

Ultimately, the addition of a No. 10 must be prioritised, and I'm already preparing for Bilal El Khannouss or, dare I say it, Conor Gallagher to be holding up a Lilywhite shirt on Deadline Day.