Cristhian Mosquera Joins Arsenal On €15m Fee Plus Add-ons From Valencia
Talented Spanish defender Cristhian Mosquera has essentially announced that he is leaving La Liga club Valencia and will be joining north London club Arsenal.
As Mikel Arteta’s fourth summer acquisition, the 21-year-old defender is anticipated to fly to London for a medical and sign a long-term contract with the Gunners.
Mosquera, who has been a key player for Valencia, spoke emotionally about leaving his boyhood club. “Valencia is my home, and it always will be,” he told Spanish media. “I arrived when I was 12, and now I’m leaving as a grown man, a little sad because you’ve been here your whole life, but decisions in football are like that. Now a new era begins.” While he did not explicitly name Arsenal, he acknowledged the transition was “exciting, but it’s also sad.”
It has been reported that Arsenal and Valencia have reached an agreement worth an initial €15 million, or roughly £12.75 million, plus add-ons that could bring the total to almost £17 million.
This transfer is viewed as a calculated move to give Arsenal’s first-choice centre-backs, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, competition and cover.
Mosquera’s versatility includes his ability to play both left and right centre-back, and he has also filled in at right-back in the past for his former club, Valencia.
His promise is demonstrated by his stellar La Liga statistics from the previous season, where he outperformed all Valencia players in aerial duels and tackles won, and completed more passes (1,822).
Mosquera reportedly rejected several contract offers from Valencia because he was so eager to join Arsenal, which has sped up the transaction.e transaction.
