Arsenal really wanted to sign Benjamin Sesko this summer, but Manchester United ended up winning the race for his signature.
The Slovenia international had been a wanted man for over a year, and he was linked with moves to several big clubs.
Arsenal initially wanted to sign Sesko over Viktor Gyokeres, but the finances involved in the deal forced the Gunners to abandon their move for the then-Bundesliga star.
Now, Arsenal are pushing to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Piero Hincapie, who has faced Sesko multiple times during their time in Germany.
There was always one clear winner when Piero Hincapie faced Benjamin Sesko
Benjamin Sesko and Piero Hincapie faced each other in the Bundesliga.
The Slovene was one of the best strikers in the division during his time at RB Leipzig, while Hincapie made a tremendous name for himself at Bayer Leverkusen.
Over the last two seasons, the two players came up against each other three times, and their record stands: one win, one draw and one loss.
However, when a striker comes up against a defender, he is judged by the goals he scores, and unfortunately for Sesko, who is now at Manchester United, he didn’t find the net once when facing Hincapie in Germany.
Ironically, in the game between Leipzig and Leverkusen in January 2024, Hincapie managed to score and help his side win 3-2.
The Ecuador international played as a central centre-back in a back three in two of his three games against Sesko, while his other appearance came as a left-wing-back.
The fact that Hincapie can boast that he never conceded a goal to Sesko gives him the bragging rights if he does join Arsenal in the coming days.
READ MORE: Why Arsenal target Piero Hincapie once compared himself to Neymar
Piero Hincapie blocks a shot from Benjamin Sesko during a game between RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga
Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images
Piero Hincapie solves one major problem for Arsenal
It is a surprise seeing Arsenal show an interest in signing Hincapie this summer after already bringing in seven new players.
However, the Bayer Leverkusen defender solves a few key issues in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal don’t have an overlapping left-back in their squad anymore following the departure of Kieran Tierney at the end of last season.
Myles Lewis-Skelly and Riccardo Calafiori are both brilliant, but neither can provide the support a left-winger needs when they want to cut in.
Although Hincapie is naturally a centre-back, he is more than capable of playing as a left-back, and he could make a serious difference if he starts behind someone like Eberechi Eze.
We think that is one of the biggest reasons why Arteta wants to sign Hincapie in the final days of the window.