Talleres centre-back Piero Hincapie has stated he is very open to moving clubs this summer, amid reports he is being pursued by a number of teams in Europe.

Celtic, Newcastle, Bayern Munich, Roma, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Lens are all believed to be keeping tabs on the 19-year-old, who has been a standout performer for Ecuador in the Copa America.

Responding to the speculation, Hincapie said that, while he would not force through a move, he does harbour ambitions of playing abroad:

“A player dreams of going abroad and playing in better leagues. If the opportunity to leave is given, it would be best to take that leap. I haven’t talked to (chairman Andres) Fassi yet. I can’t promise the fans that I’m going to stay. You never know what’s going to happen.”

There are certainly some significant obstacles for Celtic to overcome if the Scottish club were to secure the Ecuadorian international’s signature.

Not only are there a number of big European clubs competing for Hincapie’s signature but his club Talleres are thought to be holding out for a fee in the region of €10m (£8.6m). It means that, at this stage, the Hoops are very much outsiders to sign the defender.