With Levi Colwill out for potentially the entirety of the season, Chelsea need to think about signing a replacement. Yes, they have managed to keep sides like Crystal Palace and West Ham United at bay. But will a central defensive partnership of Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah be good enough to compete for major honours over the course of a campaign?
Enzo Maresca's comments have suggested that he is keen on a replacement being brought in for Colwill. But the club's stance, at least in the media, appears to be that they are happy with the options they have and convinced a replacement is not needed.
Chelsea do have the ability to move in silence though, and spring a surprise from time to time. It has always been maintained that they could change their mind on signing a centre-back if the right opportunity presents itself. And just might have.
As reported by Florian Plettenberg, Piero Hincapie has decided to leave Bayer 04 Leverkusen if a suitable offer arrives. The decision has been made. He has a release clause in his contract worth €60 million.
Chelsea handed €60m Piero Hincapie transfer boost out of nowhere
Incidentally, Chelsea had been linked with him, on and off, in recent weeks, before this decision from Hincapie. Was that merely a coincidence?
It is worth pointing out that Chelsea have cleared up some space in their squad in recent weeks. Renato Veiga recently joined Villarreal in a €29 million deal.
So, do Chelsea now have the ability to swoop in and sign someone like Hincapie? We will find out soon. It is worth mentioning that both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are believed to be interested in signing the Ecuadorian international as well. So, even if the Blues want him, it would not be an easy deal to pull off.