Chelsea are watching Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie.

The Mirror says the Bayer Leverkusen youngster is regarded as one of the best central defensive prospects around. And such has been his form over the past 18 months that several big English clubs, including Arsenal and Tottenham, have been monitoring his progress.

Chelsea know Thiago Silva won't go on for ever and left-sided central defender Hincapie is among those being looked at as Graham Potter and his technical team study alternatives. The 20-year-old has big potential and Bayer are bracing themselves for bids for the player even as early as January having failed to qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League.

Hincapie started his professional career with Independiente del Valle in his homeland before Talleres in Argentina.

He moved to Germany in 2021 and has flourished in the Bundesliga.

The left-footed centre-back has been rock solid for the South American side in Qatar thus far, with Ecuador having taken four points from their opening two games