Cristhian Mosquera: Why Arsenal want to sign Valencia's young defender who almost chose basketball career over football

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have reached an agreement on personal terms with Cristhian Mosquera, the Valencia academy product who made the final shortlist for the 2024 Golden Boy award. The Gunners saw their opening bid of £12 million ($16m) rejected, but are hopeful of concluding a deal for the 21-year-old for around £17m (£23m) as Mikel Arteta aims to bolster his defensive ranks for the 2025-26 season, with The Athletic now reporting that a final agreement with Valencia is very close.

Arsenal were also credited with an interest in Dean Huijsen before his move to Real Madrid from Bournemouth, but Mosquera represents a more affordable alternative who arguably has just as much potential to unlock as his Spanish compatriot. Indeed, Mosquera looks destined to become the next major success story to emerge from Valencia's esteemed academy, following in the footsteps of legendary figures such as David Silva and Raul Albiol.

Any La Liga fans who have watched Mosquera regularly over the past two years would attest to that, as would those who caught their first glimpse of the youngster during this summer's Under-21 European Championship. Arsenal are not on the cusp of signing merely a back-up player; Mosquera can compete with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes for regular minutes if he continues to improve at such a rapid rate.

The question is: what makes Mosquera such an exciting prospect? GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the Gunners' latest target...