21yo posts goodbye ahead of Arsenal move | OneFootball

Cristhian Mosquera has said an emotional farewell to Valencia supporters, signalling the end of his time with the club as his transfer to Arsenal nears completion.

The 21-year-old centre-back is joining for an initial £13 million, rising to £16.5 million with add-ons, after rejecting interest from AFC Bournemouth and multiple Serie A clubs.

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

In a statement posted to Instagram, Mosquera wrote: “I have spent days thinking about how to summarise in one text everything I feel, but there is no single way, so I will do it from the heart.

“Today it is time to say goodbye and I never imagined how difficult it would be because not only has it been the club of my life, it has been my home, where I grew up, where I learned to fall and to get up, where I was shaped as a player, but above all as a person.

“I only have words of thanks for coaches, team-mates, staff, tutors and all the people with whom I have been able to share at the training ground. I have been lucky to share a dressing room with incredible people and to work with people who give their all for the club without appearing in the photos.

“I also want to thank the fans, fans who have always given me that special affection and with whom I feel so identified. Thank you for making me feel part of this great Valencia family.

Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images for DFB

“It hurts to close this chapter, but I do so with pride for having given my all, pride for having defended these colours and this crest with all my soul, pride for looking back and seeing all the road travelled and for feeling like a Valencianista for life.

“No one will take away the feeling I have for this club, because I take Valencia with me, forever. In my chest, in my skin, in every memory. Thank you for so much. Thank you for everything.”

Mosquera made 41 appearances for Valencia in 2024-25, earning his first senior Spain cap before returning to the under-21 squad for the European Championships.

His status as an under-21 player in the Premier League means he will not occupy a senior squad slot domestically, although UEFA rules require him to be registered as a senior player for Champions League matches.

With just one year left on his Valencia contract, Arsenal were able to secure a cut-price deal for a player viewed as one of Spain’s most promising defensive talents.

Mosquera already travelled to London to complete his medical and formalise the transfer, with an official announcement expected imminently with the player already in Singapore.