During the off-season, weekends don't tend to generate much excitement for football fans. It's time to enjoy the summer weather and disassociate ourselves from the stresses of supporting a team. However, for Arsenal fans on Sunday, there was certainly something to get the blood pumping.
It's been two years now, two long years that the Gunners have needed a new striker and they finally look set to bring one to the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal's Kai Havertz with manager Mikel Arteta after being substituted
For much of the transfer window so far, the question has been, will Mikel Arteta sign Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres?
Well, it looks like the answer has arrived emphatically; Gyokeres.
The Athletic's David Ornstein broke the news over the weekend that the reds were set to sign the Swede from Sporting, finally agreeing a fee with the Portuguese club that will see him move for a guaranteed fee of £55m plus an extra £8.6m in add-ons.
Gyokeres 2024-25 season in numbers (timeless) (1)
Arsenal, however, are not done there.
What's next for Arsenal after Gyokeres
This has been a particularly busy fortnight for Andrea Berta with Arsenal having confirmed the arrivals of three players: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard.
It's now widely expected that Noni Madueke will complete his move to the red side of London this week with Fabrizio Romano reporting on Monday that he will sign a contract until 2030 after undergoing the final part of his medical.
After that, Arsenal look set to bolster their defence with the addition of a young defender plying their trade in LaLiga.
That's according to a number of sources, including the aforementioned Ornstein who claimed at the start of this week that Arsenal "are working to complete" a move for Valencia centre-back Cristhian Mosquera. Personal terms have reportedly already been agreed.
cristhian-mosquera-valencia
An update was also provided by sources in Spain, via Sport Witness. They report that the player was left out of training on Monday and is now already flying to England to undergo a medical and officially put pen to paper on his contract.
Previous reports have suggested it could take a bid of £17m to lure him away from Spain.
What Mosquera could bring to Mikel Arteta's Arsenal team
The arrivals of Zubimendi and Gyokeres will undoubtedly cause much fanfare this summer but should Berta and Co get a deal over the line for Mosquera, it must also be celebrated.
After all, the 21-year-old has showcased himself to be one of the best young defenders in Spain over recent years.
cristhian-mosquera-valencia-premier-league
On the face of it, you may not think Arsenal need to sign another centre-half. William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are immovable objects at the heart of Arteta's defence and have steered the Gunners to the best defensive record in the Premier League over the last two seasons.
Yet, it could be argued that they've struggled to find adequate backup. Italy international Riccardo Calafiori, who is a centre-back by trade, has played more as a left-back since arriving in the English capital and Jakub Kiwior's future remains up in the air.
Kiwior-Saliba
To his credit, Kiwior did stand out while Gabriel nursed a hamstring injury and actually looked like the more composed out of him and Saliba when Arsenal travelled to the Bernabeu. It was Saliba's mistake that led to Vini Jr's goal in the second half.
The Frenchman and Gabriel will resume their partnership in 2025/26 but Mosquera, a front-footed modern defender, will fit like a glove into this Arsenal team.
Analyst Ben Mattinson has described Mosquera as "one of the best backline aggressors of his age" while noting that the youngster will be the "aggressor and leader that Gabriel is but from right centre-back".
What that means is that the Valencia star could be the perfect profile to help transitions into midfield, thus helping the likes of Zubimendi and Declan Rice get on the ball more.
Martinelli-Saka-Rice-Arsenal
Anytime Arteta's side find possession in the hands of those two this season, something is bound to happen. European football expert, Sid Lowe, has noted that the Spaniard "is just about as good a deep-lying midfielder there is in Europe, apart from maybe Rodri," while we all know the power and carrying ability that Rice has from deep.
To rubberstamp why Mosquera would be so beneficial to the build-up and midfield transition, we've highlighted the following numbers via FBRef.
Mosquera in LaLiga - 2024/25
Metric
Progressive carries
Progressive passes
Pass completion
Long pass completion
% of dribblers tackled
Ball recoveries
Stats via FBRef.
What the metrics above suggest is that Mosquera is very much ball-dominant. He loves to carry the ball forward and he marries that attribute with the composure to play out from the back.
For context, his pass completion rate of 90.5% was greater than Gabriel's 90.2% in the Premier League last season.
Cristhian-Mosquera
He's not just front-footed, but he's an aggressive defender too, something Mattinson outlined. Only 16% of centre-backs in LaLiga tackled a higher percentage of dribblers. Only 4% of positionally similar players made more ball recoveries.
This is an elite defender in the making and his ability to make an impact higher up the pitch and carry the ball into midfield will only be beneficial, particularly for someone like Rice.
The club's record signing loves to drop into the hole and then burst forward. He does that regularly with Gabriel and Saliba behind him but should one of them be unavailable, Mosquera will ensure Rice and Zubimendi can play in the same way.
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