Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur are all interested in Piero Hincapie of Bayer Leverkusen and Ecuador, according to a report.

German outlet Bild report that London clubs Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen on Piero Hincapie, following the Ecuador defender’s performances at the World Cup.

Arsenal were also linked with Hincapie earlier this month, but reports at the time suggested Bayer Leverkusen weren’t interested in selling.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Arsenal pursuing the 20-year-old. The Gunners are likely to be in the market for a left-footed left-centre-back in the coming windows, and Hincapie fits the age profile of many of Mikel Arteta’s recent signings.

Arteta already has Gabriel Magalhaes, but there are very few internal alternatives to the Brazilian centre-back. It’s arguably one of the positions with the greatest step down from first-choice to backup in the Arsenal squad.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is a good option, but he’s primarily the backup right-back, so that just moves the problem somewhere else.

But Chelsea are also looking for a signing in the same position, and Spurs are evidently now in the mix for Hincapie as well, so it wouldn’t be a straightforward deal.

Arsenal also probably have other priorities at the moment, with Gabriel Jesus’ injury putting the emphasis on attacking positions in the January window.

Plus, it’s never a great idea to sign a player immediately after they make a positive impression at the World Cup. Waiting for the hype to die down by summer might be a smarter strategy, if no one else makes a move before then.

Hincapie has made 18 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen this season, and they sit 12th in the Bundesliga table.