DONE DEAL: 23yr old Brazilian striker completes Arsenal Medical with deal signed till 2031 – Congratulations Arsenal fans
DONE DEAL: 23yr old Brazilian striker completes Arsenal Medical with deal signed till 2031 – Congratulations Arsenal fans
Amid reports that Arsenal had agreed a deal for the signing of Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia, El Chiringuito TV caught the player on camera leaving training early on Monday after reportedly saying his goodbyes to teammates.
Mosquera confirmed his Valencia exit after he was stopped in his car by Radio Marca, telling the Spanish outlet: “This is my home and it always will be. I arrived here at 12 years old and I’m leaving as a man. I’m a bit sad.”
The defender was then filmed by Deportes COPE Valencia arriving at the airport to fly to London on Tuesday morning, and he added: “I’m leaving proud. Now let’s see how everything unfolds, and it’s up to the club to speak.”
Fabrizio Romano reports that a medical is booked and the documents are all in place for Mosquera’s transfer to become official later this week.
Ed Aarons reports for The Guardian that Arsenal’s agreement with Valencia is for an initial £13m deal with up to £3.5m in potential add-ons.
Valencia journalist Hector Gomez tells the Tribuna Deportiva podcast that Valencia presented Mosquera with a better offer from another club, but the player responded that he was only interested in Arsenal.
That club may well have been Bournemouth, with Alex Crook reporting for talkSPORT that the Cherries were among the other English sides keen on Mosquera following Dean Huijsen’s departure.
21-year-old Mosquera made 41 appearances for Valencia in 2024/25, and he’s even made his debut for the Spanish senior national team. Though he dropped back to the u21s this summer to play at the Euros.
Given he’s born in 2004, Mosquera will count as an u21 player in the Premier League squad lists this season, meaning he won’t use up a non-homegrown spot domestically.
That’s not the case in UEFA competition, where you have to be at a club for two seasons before you’re allowed on the u21 list. Mosquera will have to be included as a non-homegrown senior player in the Champions League.
The centre-back was in the final year of his deal with Valencia, which helped Arsenal to get a cut-price agreement.
