Arsenal are reportedly in talks with Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera over a deal to bring him to the Emirates.
The Gunners are keen to sign a centre-back this summer as they want to have more depth behind starting pair William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. They have been heavily linked with Liverpool target Jorrel Hato, amid reports that they could sell Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior to land the Ajax defender.
Most Read on Gooner News
However, in a fresh update by the Athletic’s David Ornstein on X, Arsenal are now prioritising a move to sign Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera instead. The Journalist posted: “Arsenal working on deal to sign Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia. 20yo currently#AFC preferred option to strengthen at centre-back. Entering final 12 months of contract + interest from other clubs too.”
🚨 Arsenal working on deal to sign Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia. 20yo currently #AFC preferred option to strengthen at centre-back. Entering final 12 months of contract + interest from other clubs too. W/ @gunnerblog @TheAthleticFC after @HandofArsenal https://t.co/CFCMi0IlTh
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 26, 2025
The 20-year-old is seen as a high-potential centre-back, who already has great experience in La Liga. Last season, he made 41 appearances for Valencia, and has also appeared for the Spanish U21s. With his contract expiring next summer, the Spanish club could be willing to cash in on him rather than forking out for a new long-term contract.
Mosquera can play both as a centre-back and a right-back, the sort of versatility that would be ideal for Arsenal to have behind the starters in defence. Furthermore, he could develop into a properly world-class defender.
Would Mosquera be a better signing for Arsenal than Hato?
The first thing to consider is their respective costs. Mosquera has a market value of around £25.5m, whereas Hato is expected to cost at least £40m, so initially, there is a big gap for Arsenal to negotiate there.
Furthermore, if the Gunners would have to sell in order to buy Hato, it would make more sense for them to retain their players and instead just pay for Mosquera.
However, Hato is no doubt a more developed player at this stage in his career. He has appeared regularly for the Dutch national team, and is also one year younger. It is universally agreed that Hato has the potential to become a Virgil Van Dijk-esque centre-back.
Click here to see Arsenal’s current first team squad heading into the new season.