Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, who has signed a ‘long-term contract’. It has previously been reported that his contract will run for five years.
Mosquera was out of contract at Valencia next season, and with Los Che delaying too long to present a fresh deal to the Spain under-21 international, Arsenal decided to make a move for him. Previously AC Milan and Atletico Madrid had shown interest in him, but Arsenal have got the deal over the line for Mosquera, paying Valencia €15m plus up to €4-5m in variables.
The end of Mosquera’s Valencia spell
More or less confirming the move last week, Mosquera told fans that ‘Valencia is my home and always will be’, and noted that he was sad to be leaving Mestalla, but excited to join Arsenal. In total, Mosquera made 91 appearances for Valencia, after becoming a regular starter under Ruben Baraja three seasons ago. Mosquera also won a gold medal with Spain last summer at the Paris Olympics.
Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta on Mosquera
Mosquera earmarked the faith of Arsenal Sporting Director Andrea Berta and manager Mikel Arteta. The Basque manager told club media that “We’re delighted to welcome Cristhian to Arsenal. As a 21-year-old defender, Cristhian has already performed consistently well with significant experience in La Liga. He is an intelligent player with good pace, who can play centrally and on both sides.”
“He is a young player with exciting talent and enormous potential, who will fit well into our squad as we continue to prepare for next season. Cristhian adds good quality to our squad, and we look forward to working with him and making him feel at home with us. From all of us, we welcome Cristhian and his family to the club.”
Berta had come close to signing Mosquera last summer while he was in charge at Atletico Madrid.
“We’re very happy and excited to have signed a hugely talented young player in Cristhian Mosquera. We identified Cristhian as one of the strongest young defenders in European football, and he is an important signing for our future.”
“Cristhian is a versatile defender who will strengthen our squad. We cannot wait to see him playing for us. Together with everyone at the club, we warmly welcome Cristhian and his family to Arsenal.”
What to expect from Mosquera?
Mosquera is expected to arrive as relief for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at the back, wearing the number three shirt for the Gunners. A physical defender with pace and power, Editor Ruairidh Barlow wrote the following about him for Football Chronicle ahead of last season.
“The most important part of Mosquera’s game is that he enjoys defending. He is part of the increasingly common sight of defenders celebrating tackles, and you can tell he gets his warm fuzzy feeling from battling gnarled forwards. Numerous of La Liga’s most physically imposing strikers, including Alexander Sorloth, Vedat Muriqi, and Vinícius Júnior, bounce off Mosquera when they are used to busting their way through. Ingrained in that psyche is a strong defensive instinct of when to make his move, and a tenacity that is as useful on the pitch as it is appreciated by fans.”
“With the ball, he’s not as refined as a top club might want, but it’s something that is being improved. Having been coached during the era of the ball-playing defender, he has the basics down. Mosquera usually has the recovery pace to make up for any flaws, and if there’s one thing he will be working on, it’s ensuring he moves with the ball, rather than slightly after it – hardly much of a criticism at his stage.”
For the full profile on Mosquera, head to FC99.
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