Chelsea are looking at a possibility to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie
According to Dharmesh Sheth of Sky Sports (h/t Football.London), Chelsea are looking at the possibility of signing Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie as an alternative to Josko Gvardiol.
Hincapie was part of the Ecuador team that bowed out of the World Cup in the group stage. He was one of the best players for them despite an early exit.
The 20-year-old’s contract at Leverkusen lasts until the summer of 2026 (Transfermarkt). The report says that a deal can be pushed through for €30m.
It is also revealed that Chelsea signing Hincapie would be an alternative to Gvardiol. The Blues are linked with the latter ever since the summer transfer window. But, the race to sign the Croatian star is heating up with Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City joining it.
In terms of similarity, both Hincapie and Gvardiol are left-footed centre-backs who can also play as a left-back. Although the latter can be seen to have more quality, the former has done well in the last 12 months or so.
It is up to Chelsea now, whether they fight tooth-and-nail with the mega clubs for the Croatian, or nip in a deal for the Ecuadorian for lesser money.
The Blues are looking at a long-term replacement for Thiago Silva, who is 38 now and has a contract expiring in the summer at Stamford Bridge (Transfermarkt).
Hincapie is a languid centre-back who is good in the air, loves a physical battle as most South American defenders do. He is pretty good at reading the danger before it unfolds and is a very neat passer of the ball, which is always a boon for a modern centre-back.
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- Chelsea youngster Cesare Casadei earmarked for a January loan move
- Chelsea and Liverpool are interested in Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo
Who will we end up with? It depends on a lot of factors. The crux of the matter is that Chelsea would need a centre-back in the summer. A left-footed player of high quality adds a different dimension to the team. Both Hincapie and Gvardiol have that.