Piero Hincapie of Ecuador tackles Cody Gakpo of the Netherlands. (Photo by ANTONIN THUILLIER/AFP via Getty Images)
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.
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.
Jadon Sancho has hit the ground running in his season-long loan at Chelsea, with the Blues eyeing a permanent deal…
Chelsea appear to be rediscovering their form under Enzo Maresca, aiming for a top-four finish as they currently sit third…
In their bid to further bolster their defense, Chelsea are aiming to make a big move for the star right-back…
Christopher Nkunku is keen to leave Chelsea in January over lack of game time in the Premier League There has…
Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres is on the radar of Chelsea Chelsea are riding high in the Premier League, sitting…
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca eyeing defensive reinforcements in January Chelsea could well find themselves in the market to improve their…