Chelsea are believed to be working on deals for Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho at the moment. Could the club be working on other possible signings in the background though? That possibility cannot be ruled out completely. Centre-back is certainly one area worth keeping an eye on at this time, as Levi Colwill could spend the full season out with an ACL injury he picked up in pre-season training.
One player who had been linked with Chelsea in the immediate aftermath of the Colwill injury is Piero Hincapie. The Ecuadorian international teammate of Moises Caicedo currently plays for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
News emerged earlier today that Hincapie has decided to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer. And there is a €60 million release clause in his deal.
Well, curiously, Chelsea's name has not been brought with regard to Hincapie since this news has emerged. But two of their London rivals appear to be at the front of the line in this transfer race.
Chelsea-linked player is very open to joining Arsenal
As reported by Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal have already contacted Bayer 04 Leverkusen and officially registered their interest in Hincapie. At the moment, the Bundesliga club are still insisting on the €60m release clause. The Ecuadorian centre-back is very open to joining the London club and likes them a lot. Tottenham Hotspur are also in the race, but Mikel Arteta's side are currently the most concrete option.
Now, it is worth mentioning that the media briefing since Colwill's injury has always been that Chelsea are happy with the options they have. They are not looking to make another addition there.
But Enzo Maresca's comments have suggested that he wants another centre-back to play Colwill's role in the team. One can only hope that the club try to back the manager and make a signing there.