Have Arsenal snapped the bargain of summer in unheralded Mosquera?

Cristhian Mosquera arrived at Arsenal from Valencia in the summer to little fanfare.

Arsenal's Cristhian Mosquera carries the ball during the Champions League win over Athletic Club at Estadio de San Mames  Pic: Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images 

“It is great to have him next to me, and I think he has a bright future ahead as well.” Jurrien Timber was full of praise for teammate Cristhian Mosquera following Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Athletic Club on Tuesday. The Basque giants were making their first appearance in the Champions League in 11 years, and sought to mark the occasion with a huge scalp to kick off the competition.

Athletic huffed, and they puffed, but failed to break the Arsenal resolve. Victory at San Mames made it four wins from their opening five matches, keeping a clean sheet in all four victories. The only goal they have conceded was a stunning Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick at Anfield last month.

Crucial, too, is that Arsenal have claimed victories with key men missing. Bukayo Saka has registered just 143 minutes of game time this season owing to injury. Key centre-back William Saliba was forced off after just five minutes of the 1-0 loss at Liverpool. In previous years, the absence of Saka and Saliba derailed Arsenal’s ambitions. Their summer dealings, though, have ensured they now have the relevant cover to deal without key men.

Noni Madueke has shone down the right for the Gunners but it’s the performances of Mosquera that has really caught the eye. In the midst of a busy summer, the centre-back’s addition flew a little under the radar. Joining for a rumoured £13m from Valencia, in the current market this is looking an absolute bargain. He didn’t arrive to great fanfare, especially as the north London side spent big to sign Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, among others, yet he’s proving one of the smartes acquisitions.

After featuring off the bench in the 5-0 demolition job over Leeds, Mosquera was thrown in at the deep end at Liverpool as he replaced Saliba minutes after kick off. It’s one thing to come on against a side so devoid of confidence they failed to have a shot after the 20th minute; it’s another to face down the best attack in the Premier League, and swim rather than sink.

What initially stands out about Mosquera is that his early showings bely his tender years. It’s hard to believe this is a defender who only turned 21 in June. Importantly, though, Mosquera is a centre-back with ample playing time under his belt. Indeed, the youngster featured in all but three of 76 league games in his final two seasons at Valencia, starting 70 times in the process. He’s a player with experience, but scope to develop further.

Whereas young players transitioning from one league to another often need time to adjust, Mosquera has rapidly transitioned from La Liga to the Premier League, and doesn’t look out of place at the heart of England’s most resolute defence. As far as cover and competition for Saliba at the Emirates Stadium, the Gunners couldn’t have hoped for much better.

He boasts the distribution qualities of Saliba and the physical presence to overpower even the strongest forwards on the continent. The former has been evident in the league and Champions League, averaging a 92.3% pass success rate from 64 passes per 90 in England’s top tier, and finding a teammate with all but four of his 79 attempted passes in Bilbao on Tuesday evening. Mosquera, meanwhile, boasts an 88.89% ground duel success rate in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

That’s not to say Mosquera is the perfect centre-back by any stretch, and that is to be expected of a player his age. Despite standing at 6’2’, Mosquera returned an aerial success rate of just 45.2% in La Liga last season. While he has shown an improvement to this side of his game, that figure standing at 60% albeit from a far smaller sample size, this is an area for Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff to work on. The same, though, could be said of Saliba when he first arrived, and the France international now dominates aerially.

Able to operate at right-back, too, Mosquera’s versatility will have also appealed to Arteta. The Arsenal boss favours defenders who play multiple roles, with Ben White, Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and new signing Piero Hincapie all able to cover at both right-back for the former pair and left-back for the latter. Predominantly right-footed but able to use his left, Mosquera also provides top quality cover for Gabriel Magalhaes on the left side of the Arsenal centre.

Having been linked with Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Inter, to name three, over the summer,  Arsenal did well to win the race for Mosquera's services. Though he will undoubtedly come up against his toughest opponent this weekend.

Manchester City make the trip to the capital on Sunday as Pep Guardiola’s side seek to avoid a third successive defeat at the Emirates, with Erling Haaland eager to add to his five league goals already this season. This will prove a huge test for Mosquera, who’ll look to not only instigate attacks from defence, but ensure he’s not physically dominated by the powerhouse Haaland.

Having exceeded expectations already in his opening handful of Arsenal appearances, however, fans have every right to be confident that Mosquera can again step up to the challenge. This is a defender, after all, that has previously kept the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham at bay during his time in La Liga. He has the strength to ensure Haaland endures a difficult trip to London, while in the process add weight to the argument that, for such a low fee, he’s the Premier League’s best summer signing.