Arsenal confirm arrival of Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera on long-term contract in €20m transfer

Mosquera had entered the final 12 months of his contract at Valencia and was offered a renewal by the Spanish club. However, the defender turned down those overtures in favour of joining the Premier League side, a move driven by his desire to play at the highest level and work under Arteta.

Born in Alicante, Spain, to Colombian parents, Mosquera was recruited into the Valencia youth system at the age of 12. He climbed through the ranks rapidly and made 90 senior appearances for the club, finding the net once. His consistent rise caught the attention of several European clubs, but it was Arsenal who made the decisive move.

Arteta expressed his enthusiasm about welcoming Mosquera into the Arsenal fold, praising the player’s maturity and positional awareness despite his young age.

"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 said. "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.”

Primarily a right-footed central defender, Mosquera brings flexibility to Arteta’s squad as he’s equally comfortable operating on the left side of defence. He is expected to compete for minutes with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, two of the mainstays in Arsenal’s backline last season.

Mosquera becomes Arsenal’s fifth signing of the summer as the north London side continues to bolster its squad for the 2025-26 campaign. The Gunners had previously secured the services of Martín Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Christian Nørgaard and Kepa Arrizabalaga. With Mosquera’s inclusion, Arsenal’s total spending in this window has now reached approximately £140 million.