Arsenal sign defender Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia
By Philip Duncan, PA
Arsenal have made Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera their fifth signing of the summer, taking the club’s spending to close to £140 million.
Spaniard Mosquera joins for an initial fee of £13 million – with performance-related add-ons – and is understood to have agreed a five-year deal with an option of a further year.
The 21-year-old is set to provide cover for William Saliba and Gabriel at the heart of the Gunners’ defence, but can also operate anywhere along the backline.
Mosquera, who played 41 times for Valencia last season, has joined Arsenal for their tour of Singapore and Hong Kong.
“It means a lot to me,” Mosquera told the club website. “There’s been a lot of hard work behind all of this.
“It’s an opportunity that came up and I couldn’t let it pass me by. I’m joining a historic, massive club. When you arrive here with your family, you really feel the greatness of this place.”
New sporting director Andrea Berta has wasted no time in improving Arsenal’s squad as manager Mikel Arteta eyes the club’s first Premier League title in more than two decades.
“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,” Arteta said.
“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.”
Mosquera follows Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£60m), goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m), Christian Norgaard (£10m) and Noni Madueke (£48.5m) in moving to the Emirates.
Gabriel and Myles Lewis-Skelly have also put pen to paper on new contracts in the off-season, with a long-term extension for teenager Ethan Nwaneri believed to be all-but completed.
Arsenal remain hopeful of signing striker Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon, although it is not believed a deal, which could be worth as much as £65m, is imminent.