Arsenal signed centre-back Cristhian Mosquera from La Liga giants Valencia for a base fee of £13m.
The Gunners signed Mosquera to be the backup behind the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel, after both defender suffered injuries at times last year, and Jakub Kiwior had to step in to replace the pair. Mikel Arteta now has extra depth at the back, adding in the 21-year-old Spaniard.
Mosquera will wear the number three shirt for Arsenal, and could become the future of Arteta’s defence considering that Gabriel is more injury prone, and Saliba has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. But what was the defender like before joining at the Emirates?
Early career and breaking out at Valencia
The 21-year-old was born in Alicante in June 2024, and was always destined to be an athlete. He first played basketball due to his height, before he joined a local futsal team, which sparked his footballing career at a young age.
He eventually got his first chance in football joining local club Hercules CF as an academy player. Aged nine, he joined the club, and spent the next three years with them before he was scouted by Valencia, joining the La Liga club in 2016.
Mosquera made his first senior debut for Valencia Mestalla (Reserve team) in September 2021 starting in a 3-1 win against CD Castellon B aged 17. He made 10 appearances in total for the reserve team before making his debut for Valencia’s first team in January 2022, aged 18.
His debut came as he started in a 1-0 win against Atletico Baleares in the Copa Del Rey. In the rest of the 2021/22 season, Mosquera made six more appearances for Valencia, all of which came in La Liga.
In his second full season with the first team, the young Spanish defender began to carve more of a role out for himself at the age of 19. Mosquera made 14 appearances, the majority of which came off the bench, or in a rotational side.
However, at the age of 20, Mosquera became a first choice centre-back option for Valencia. He made 38 appearances in the 2023/24 season, helping the Spanish club to a ninth-place finish in the league.
Last year, he played the second most minutes of any outfield player in La Liga, making 41 appearances. He also scored his first goal for the club in February 2025 in a 2-0 win against Leganes.
Mikel Arteta’s plan for Mosquera at Arsenal
Upon signing Mosquera in the summer, Mikel Arteta spoke in an interview with Arsenal’s Official Website about why he wanted to sign the Spanish defender, and what his plans for the 21-year-old at the Emirates.
Arteta said: “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 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.”
Click here to see five things you didn’t know about Cristhian Mosquera.
