Cristhian Mosquera flies in for Arsenal medical as bargain transfer agreed

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Evening Standard

·15 July 2025

Cristhian Mosquera flies in for Arsenal medical as bargain transfer agreed

Gunners set to pay less than £17m for Spanish defender, who has confirmed his imminent exit from Valencia

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Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Cristhian Mosquera after the defender flew to London on Tuesday morning.

The Gunners are putting the finishing touches to a deal with Valencia that is understood to be worth below the LaLiga club’s initial £17million asking price.

Reports in Spain state that Arsenal will pay £13m up front, but add-ons may see the total value of the deal increase by around £3.5m.

Mosquera was filmed arriving at Valencia Airport by Spanish broadcaster Deportes COPE Valencia on Tuesday morning.

The 21-year-old is now set to undergo a medical in London before putting pen to paper on his long-term contract with Arsenal.

“We'll see how everything goes,” Mosquera told Deportes COPE Valencia on Tuesday morning. “First, the club has to talk.”

The defender is being signed by Arsenal to provide competition and cover for first-choice centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba.

Mosquera is viewed as an exciting prospect and Valencia had wanted to keep hold of him this summer.

The Spaniard only had one year left on his contract at Mestalla, however, and Valencia have been forced to cash in.

“Valencia is my home and it always will be,” Mosquera told reporters on Monday night. “I arrived when I was 12, and now I am leaving as a grown man.

“[I am] a little sad because [I have] been here [my] whole life, but decisions in football are like that. Now a new era begins.”

Pressed on his move to Arsenal, he added: “I prefer the club to talk first, and then whatever happens, it will happen. It’s exciting, but it’s also sad.”

Mosquera is due to sign in time to be part of Arsenal’s pre-season tour to Singapore and Hong Kong, for which they depart on Saturday.

The Gunners have games against AC Milan and Newcastle in Singapore, before flying to Hong Kong to face rivals Tottenham.