One of the best indicators of Cristhian Mosquera’s quality can be found in the sheer number of minutes he has played. Since being drafted into the Valencia team at the age of 19 in August 2023, he has started 70 league games out of a possible 72.
In probably the most challenging position on the pitch tactically, and with all the pressure of playing for one of the biggest clubs in Spain as they navigated a turbulent period, the young centre-back came to be seen as undroppable by two different managers.
His total of 6,394 minutes played across the last two seasons is the highest by anyone aged 21 or under in Europe’s top-five leagues. The volume of playing time highlights reliability and robustness. It also gave suitors such as Arsenal plenty to go on.
Cristhian Mosquera has played more minutes than any other player aged 21 or under across the last two seasons in Europe’s major leagues
Clearly they liked what they saw, and they were not the only ones, with Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig also said to have tracked him.
The Spain U21 international is set to head to Arsenal with a reputation as one of the most promising young centre-backs in Europe, his appeal heightened by a relatively low price-tag in the final year of his contract with his boyhood club.
He has tested himself against some of the world’s best attacking players in LaLiga, with one standout performance coming against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in April, when he helped shackle Kylian Mbappe as Valencia claimed a late 2-1 victory.
He fits the bill as a high-potential player with both experience and the capacity to develop further. He is right footed but, having played on both sides and even in a back three, he is adaptable enough to provide competition for Gabriel Magalhaes as well as William Saliba.
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Speaking on the Transfer Talk Podcast, Dharmesh Sheth explains why Arsenal are acting on their long-standing interest in Cristhian Mosquera
His physical qualities are eye-catching. Mosquera has an imposing frame at 6ft 2ins but he is also quick and agile, with long legs and a knack for winning possession cleanly but forcefully. He rarely commits fouls and is also composed in possession.
There are areas for improvement too. Mosquera boasted a higher ground-duel success rate than any of Arsenal’s centre-back options last season at 70.7 per cent but, despite his height, he ranked bottom for aerial duel success at 45.2 per cent.
He is still learning having only turned 21 in June, so it is hardly surprising that certain elements of his game are still raw.
“He is a player who has shown great potential in a short period of time,” a former staffer in Valencia’s scouting and analysis department tells Sky Sports. “He became a very important for us and contributed a lot despite his age.
“He needs to work on some key aspects, like his decision-making. He is intense and aggressive in the way he defends but sometimes he needs to choose the right moments and understand when it would be better to drop back or hold his position.
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Sky Sports News’ James Savundra takes a look at Arsenal’s potential new signing Cristhian Mosquera and breaks down how the Spanish centre-half compares to the club’s current options
“For a league like the Premier League, his aerial play isn’t a big strength, but he is quick on the cover, in defensive one-vs-ones and when running back towards his own goal.”
Mikel Arteta and his coaches will hope to harness Mosquera’s strengths while also honing his aerial game in the same way they did his soon-to-be team-mate Saliba’s.
A weakness when he arrived at the club, it has become an area of strength for the France international. Only Ben White posted a superior aerial success rate than him at Arsenal last term.
Cristhian Mosquera impressed against Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe last season
Of course, context is key when it comes to assessing players too.
The same source from Valencia mentions that Mosquera has had some issues defending set-pieces, for example, but puts them down to a commitment to zonal marking which caused the team problems collectively, particularly under their former manager Ruben Baraja, who was replaced by Carlos Corberan in December.
“The type of zonal marking he found difficult demands specific tactical principles, such as dominating space, positioning, interpreting crossing and shooting positions, coordinating with team-mates about where their different zones overlap.
Cristhian Mosquera improved his passing game at Valencia
“Man-to-man marking requires a different set of principles, things like watching the ball and your opponent simultaneously, physical contact, coordinating with team-mates to swap opponents, adjusting marking schemes depending on the most dangerous players, blocking runs, identifying runners from outside the box.”
A problem at Valencia may not matter so much at Arsenal, in other words. Their favoured hybrid approach, where some players are instructed to defend zonally and others are asked to go man-to-man from set-pieces, should suit Mosquera better.
Arsenal will also be encouraged by the development of his passing.
Mosquera took on more responsibility in Valencia’s build-up play last season, averaging more touches and passes per 90 minutes than in the previous campaign. He also sent a higher percentage of passes forward and completed a higher percentage overall, posting an impressive accuracy rate of 91.2 per cent.
“In terms of playing out from the back, he improved a lot with the arrival of Carlos Corberan at Valencia and with his promotion to Spain’s U21s,” adds the source from Valencia.
“He doesn’t have the level of other centre-backs like Pau Torres, who are really good at it, but he has reduced the number of errors he was making. He is providing more fluidity in possession and now has the courage to drive forward to open up passing lanes.
“He is not necessarily a player to eliminate opponents by breaking lines with his passes, but he is improving. He is adding more speed to his passing and he doesn’t give the ball away as much.”
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Like Christian Norgaard, who will serve as a back-up to Martin Zubimendi, and expected additions Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke, who will provide competition for Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli respectively, Mosquera is ultimately another signing intended to add depth to Arsenal’s squad after a season in which injuries to key players took a heavy toll.
But he also has exciting potential and, even having only just turned 21, enough experience already behind him to suggest he could step in when needed and keep Saliba and Gabriel on their toes.
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