What was shaping up to be a perfect pre-season for Chelsea took a bit of a hit last week.
In a statement on Thursday morning, the club confirmed that defender Levi Colwill had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury and had undergone surgery as a result.
The Englishman is now set to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming campaign, which is a massive blow for Enzo Maresca considering how well he played towards the end of last season.
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Fortunately, with the transfer window still open, it looks like the West Londoners have identified someone who could be the perfect replacement.
Chelsea target perfect Colwill replacement
It's been another busy summer of spending and selling for Chelsea this year.
For example, the club made a tidy profit on Noni Madueke and finally shifted Kepa Arrizabalaga, with both going to Arsenal, while bringing in an array of seriously exciting youngsters like Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
On top of that, they continue to be linked with Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho, and now with Colwill out, appear to be targeting another exciting defender.
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At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which has claimed Chelsea are very interested in Piero Hincapié.
Although it sounds like the club have already moved beyond mere interest, as the report claims they've already prepared an offer worth €50m for the centre-back, which converts to about £43m.
It remains to be seen whether Bayer Leverkusen will accept such an offer, but given Hincapié's ability and potential, plus the injury to Colwill, Chelsea should do all they can to wrap this potential transfer up as soon as possible.
Why Hincapié would be the perfect Colwill replacement
There will likely be a section of the fanbase who argue that Hato could and should be the solution to this problem for Chelsea this season, and while it's an argument that makes sense, it's not one we agree with.
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This season is going to be a massively important one for Maresca and his squad, one in which fans will expect them to at last challenge for the title, and so starting a 19-year-old with no experience in a top-five league feels too risky for the club and the Dutchman's development.
This brings us to the first, and arguably the most crucial, reason why Hincapie would be the perfect replacement for Colwill: his experience.
Despite still being relatively young for a centre-back, the 23-year-old titan has a proven track record at the top level.
For example, at club level, the "absolute beast," as journalist Antonio Mango dubbed him, has made 115 appearances in the Bundesliga, 26 in the Europa League, 14 in the Champions League and eight in the DFB Pokal since moving to Europe.
Hincapie's Leverkusen record
Competition
Bundesliga
Europa League
Champions League
DFB-Pokal
DFL Super Cup
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Moreover, he was a key member of the Leverkusen team that won the league and cup double undefeated a couple of seasons ago.
Then, if that wasn't enough, the "sensational" ace, as dubbed by one analyst, has also won 46 senior caps for Ecuador, with nine of them coming in the Copa América and three in the World Cup.
Piero Hincapie in action for Bayer Leverkusen
Another benefit to this is that he's already got a well-established partnership and understanding with Moises Caicedo, which would make settling in at Stamford Bridge far easier.
Ultimately, losing Colwill is a massive blow, but thanks to his vast experience and history of winning things, Hincapie could be the perfect solution for Chelsea.