Going into the 2026 World Cup, Gilberto Mora was one of the most notable wonderkids in world football. Now, he is attracting attention from some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, with Arsenal at the forefront.
According to Mexican media publication Azteca Media, Arsenal are leading the race to sign Mora from Club Tijuana in the summer transfer window, though Liverpool are also thought to be in pursuit.
Mora has a release clause of less than £20 million in his current contract – gievn his potential, it shouldn’t come as any suprise as to why interest in him is so high. This clause will not expire until 2029, giving clubs plenty of time to manoeuvre.
As such, Arsenal and Liverpool are not the only interested parties involved. Marca reports that Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United have also been linked with a move for the player. Meanwhile, TransferFeed also suggests that PSG are ‘monitoring’ Mora’s progress.
On top of this, the Daily Mail [via the Chelsea Chronicle] also states that Chelsea are ‘interested’ in Mora’s services. This makes sense – Todd Boehly and BlueCo have always been keen on snapping up young talents from across the globe.
Of course, due to his age of 17, an international transfer cannot be completed just yet . Furthemore, with his birthday falling on October 14, he will not turn 18 – the required limit – until well after the transfer window has concluded.
There are workarounds, though. He can still be purchased, but must be loaned back to Tijuana until he is 18. As such, theoretically, he could be snapped up and then loaned out until January 1. By then, he will fit the age parameters.
Gilberto Mora 2026 World Cup stats
Games Goals Assists Yellow Cards Red Cards
G. Mora 4 0 0 0 0
Mexico may have been eliminated from the World Cup following a thrilling encounter with England, but Mora still managed to catch the eye – even if he failed to score a goal or register an assist.
As the youngest senior player in Liga MX history, he has already made 50 appearances for Tijuana’s first team, scoring eight goals along the way. As well as this, he has 12 senior caps for Mexico.
What would Gilberto Mora bring to Arsenal?
A dynamic attacking midfielder, Mora is a brilliant passer and a fantastic carrier of the ball, making him a dangerous prospect for any defender to come up against. With a completed passing ratio of 90.7% at the World Cup, he rarely gives the ball away – even at the very highest level of the game [via WhoScored].
He is an adaptable player, too. While he thrives in the number ten role, he can also function as a central midfielder or as a left-winger if he is required to do so. At the World Cup, however, he featured predominantly as an attacking midfielder, playing just behind the striker.
Notably, he didn’t feature much in Mexico’s first three group games, but was given much more prominance in their knockout rounds outings.
Arsenal do not need a new central midfielder at this point in time, having plenty of depth within the position, but Mora is one for the future. He is still somewhat green – he’ll need to develop a bit before he can feature prominently in the Gunners’ first team.