Arsenal will be keeping a close eye on the World Cup this winter. Any opportunity to further their research of potential transfer targets will be taken and the opening match of the tournament provided a look at two players.
Ecuador recorded a strong opening to the tournament with a victory over hosts Qatar. Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie have both been linked with a move to Arsenal in recent months.
football.london will be covering the performances of Arsenal’s potential transfer targets across the tournament. Ensure to return after each matchday for comments on the performances of the players the Gunners have been linked to throughout the tournament.
READ MORE: Ferran Torres, Jude Bellingham, Youri Tielemans: Arsenal transfer targets to watch at World Cup
Moises Caicedo
Caicedo was always expected to be the difference in the middle of the Ecuador side. Whilst Enner Valencia will grab the headlines for his goalscoring feats in the opening game, Caicedo was a level above every other player technically on the field.
Despite getting a very soft yellow card early on, it was the Brighton midfielder’s run into the right corner and vision to spot the supporting Angelo Preciado whose cross met the head of Valencia to score the second.
With the potential injury to Valencia, Caicedo will be seen as the key player for the Ecuador side. His creativity and strength in the midfield will give them the best chance of progression with Senegal and the Netherlands to come.
Piero Hincapie
The Leverkusen defender remained relatively unchallenged throughout the game. However, he maintained composure and the left-footed centre-half showed off his confidence on the ball, playing the wide passes to each full-back, something Mikel Arteta expects of his own central defenders.
Whenever there was a chance for Hincapie to get into the box for crosses and set pieces he was there. If he was signed by Arsenal to rotate with Gabriel Magalhaes, the tall figure of the Ecuadorian would be a like-for-like replacement for the Gunners’ Brazilian starting defender.
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