Arsenal are on the verge of securing the signing of highly-rated Valencia centre-back Cristhian Mosquera, after the 21-year-old agreed personal terms with the Premier League club.
Talks between the Gunners and Valencia have progressed steadily in recent weeks, and with personal terms now settled, the transfer is nearing completion.
Mosquera is expected to provide much-needed depth in defence and could serve as immediate cover for William Saliba in the right-sided centre-back role.
The Spanish youth international has made 90 senior appearances for Valencia, including starting 37 of the club’s 38 La Liga matches last season.
Despite his young age, Mosquera has built a reputation as a composed and aggressive defender, particularly known for his ability in ground duels and ball recovery.
According to La Liga statistics, the 6ft 2in defender won an impressive 70.7% of his ground duels during the 2023–24 season—the highest among central defenders who contested more than 100 duels.
He also averaged 5.15 possession recoveries per 90 minutes, the third-best rate in his position across the league. However, his aerial duel success rate stood at just 45.2%, among the lowest for regular starters in central defence.
Born in Alicante to Colombian parents, Mosquera began his sporting life as a basketball player before switching to futsal.
He transitioned to football with local club San Blas Canavate before joining Hércules CF, and later moved to Valencia’s youth system in 2016. Originally a pacey winger, he was gradually converted into a defender and made his first-team debut in 2022.
His versatility—being able to play as both a right-sided and left-sided centre-back, as well as at right-back—makes him a valuable asset for manager Mikel Arteta.
He is expected to fill the void left by the departure of Takehiro Tomiyasu, who mutually agreed to terminate his contract earlier this summer.
Mosquera’s arrival would continue Arsenal’s busy transfer window. The club have already completed deals for Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, Christian Norgaard from Brentford, and Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea.
Arsenal are also close to finalizing a €73.5m (£63.5m) move for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyökeres, with an agreement expected within the next 24 hours.
If completed, the Mosquera deal would further strengthen Arsenal’s defensive unit as they aim to build a squad capable of challenging on all fronts in the upcoming season.