Chelsea could make a January transfer move for Ecuador star Piero Hincapie. The Blues are expected to be busy in the winter transfer window, following the conclusion of the World Cup.
Head coach Graham Potter is looking to put his own stamp on the Chelsea squad, with Todd Boehly keen to back his man in the transfer window. Chelsea spent heavily in the summer transfer market, but will look to go again this time around.
High on their list of priorities is a new centre-back, with Thiago Silva due to turn 39 years old at the start of the 2023/24 season. And there have been links with a number of young stars.
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Josko Gvardiol has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, having impressed at the World Cup with Croatia. Croatia ended the tournament by finishing third, beating Morocco in the third-place play-off on Saturday.
The 20-year-old has been a revelation at the back, named in a number of pundits' teams of the tournament. He is, however, expected to command a huge fee, with plenty of other interest around Europe in him.
Hincapie is also 20 years old and could be a much cheaper alternative for the Blues. Hincapie had an up and down tournament for Ecuador, starting off well against Qatar and the Netherlands before being at fault for one of the goals that Senegal scored in the final group game to send them out of the competition.
Chelsea are reported to have sent scouts to watch Hincapie in action, in an attempt to beat the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham to his signature this January. Gvardiol was attracting attention for around £77million before the World Cup began and his price tag is likely to have increased due to his performances, with Manchester City thought to be willing to increase their offer to £110million.
According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, however, Chelsea could tie up a deal for Hincapie for around £26million, which would be a huge saving on any deal to bring in Gvardiol.
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