Chelsea scout £108m Champions League duo as big spenders threaten Arsenal and Liverpool deals

Chelsea scouts are believed to have been in attendance as Bayer Leverkusen beat AC Milan 1-0 in Champions League on Tuesday night with two potential transfer targets in action for the German side.

The Blues may not be involved in Champions League action this season, having to settle for a Europa Conference League spot under Mauricio Pochettino last term, but the London club appear to be keeping a close eye on the tournament. TBR Football reports that Chelsea scouts were at the BayArena on Tuesday to watch striker Victor Boniface and defender Piero Hincapie.

Chelsea are known to be in the market for a talisman having been linked with several targets over the summer despite not pulling off a move for the likes of Brentford man Ivan Toney and Napoli forward Victor Osimhen. Both those players did secure summer moves, to Al-Ahli and Galatasaray respectively.

Chelsea scout £58m Arsenal target

An alternative option for Chelsea has emerged in Boniface, who had also been linked with a summer move to the Premier League. Arsenal were reported to be looking at a swoop for the Leverkusen bagsman not only during the recent window, but in January as well.

Nothing emerged from those links as Boniface, who plundered 21 goals in all competitions last season, stayed to work under Xabi Alonso. The striker scored the only goal in his side's 1-0 Champions League win on Tuesday night, taking his tally for the season up to five goals.

Earlier this week, ESPN had reported that Chelsea were 'chasing another striker' and named Boniface as a leading candidate. The striker is contracted at Leverkusen until 2028 but it is believed that a bid of €70 million - £58 million - would be enough to tempt the Bundesliga winners to sell.

Blues also watch defender admired by Liverpool

TBR Football add that Chelsea were also watching Piero Hincapie on Tuesday night as the defender helped Leverkusen to a clean sheet against AC Milan. The 22-year-old is a key part of Alonso's project in Germany, making 43 appearances in all competitions last term.

The versatile defender can play at centre-back or in the full-back position and could be viewed as an ideal addition for Enzo Maresca, who is not believed to be a fan of Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella and Benoit Badiashile as long term options.

In August, Diario Expreso reported that Liverpool had been weighing up a summer bid for the defender, with a £50 million price tag slapped on that deal. The Reds are thought to be long-term admirers of the Ecuador international and could rival any Chelsea transfer plans.