Chelsea are reportedly preparing an offer to sign Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen, with figures of €50 million being mooted.

According to Fichajes, Piero Hincapie is an important target for Chelsea ahead of the next phase of this transfer window. The Blues are eager to find a solution to their defence following the potential season-ending injury to Levi Colwill, with the club now preparing a €50 million bid for the Bayer Leverkusen star.

Piero Hincapie has been one of the most consistent players for Bayer Leverkusen during their successful two-year spell under Xabi Alonso. The Spanish manager often used the Ecuadorian in a variety of roles, mostly as a centre-back or an auxiliary left-back.

Hincapie was a target for Chelsea earlier in the window, as they had thought about signing the versatile defender to their ranks. Newcastle United were keen too, but at that point, Bayer Leverkusen were prepared to block a move.

However, with the German side closing in on Loic Bade from Sevilla, there’s a possibility of letting Hincapie leave, as Chelsea still maintains an interest. The Blues want the Ecuadorian as Levi Colwill’s cover, with the latter suffering an ACL rupture that could potentially see him miss the entire season.

While the Blues signed Jorrel Hato, who is of a similar profile to Hincapie, the loss of Colwill has pushed them back into the market for signing a left-sided defender, such as the Bundesliga-winning defender. Chelsea are reportedly preparing a €50 million offer to test Bayer Leverkusen’s resolve, as a deal could be on the cards.

Where does Piero Hincapie fit in at Chelsea

Hincapie is not the only defender being linked since Enzo Maresca mentioned the need to bring in a centre-back. Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo was linked, but with the departure of Inigo Martinez, the departure seems less likely. As for Hincapie, he can fit straight into where Colwill plays, at the heart of the central defence.

As the Bundesliga-winning defender could easily slot in as a left-back, it does allow Maresca to rotate that side with options like Hato or Marc Cucurella for different roles. Overall, should Chelsea succeed in signing Hincapie, they will have an extraordinary defender on their hands, who will help them challenge on all fronts.