Arsenal in 'active talks' to sign 20-year-old La Liga defender after Dean Huijsen failure

Arsenal have reportedly started 'active talks' to sign Valencia's 20-year-old defender Cristhian Mosquera and are negotiating on both the club and player's side.

For the past three seasons, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have been unshakeable at the back for the Gunners, and the former recently signed a new long-term contract.

Mikel Arteta also has a handful of versatile options capable of stepping in for the established first-choice defenders, including Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Jakub Kiwior, and the latter impressed towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign during Gabriel's absence with a hamstring injury.

However, Kiwior is expected to be relegated back down to the bench when his South American colleague is back fit, and the former Spezia man has been persistently linked with a return to Serie A in search of frequent minutes.

Whether such a move comes to fruition remains to be seen, but Arsenal have already tried to add one embryonic defender to their ranks this summer, throwing their hat into the ring for Dean Huijsen but losing out to Real Madrid.

Arsenal begin 'initial negotiations' to sign Valencia's Mosquera

The Gunners appear to have found their youthful alternative, though, as Fabrizio Romano reports that talks have already started for 2004-born Valencia centre-back Mosquera.

The Spain Under-21 international has risen through the youth ranks at Los Che to make 90 appearances for the first team already, scoring his first goal in a 2-0 La Liga win over Leganes in February.

Mosquera started 37 of his team's 38 top-flight matches in the 2024-25 campaign, only missing one match due to suspension, in which Valencia were slaughtered 7-1 by La Liga champions Barcelona.

The 6ft 3in defender is comfortable as both a centre-back and right-back and was part of the Spain squad that reached the quarter-finals of the ongoing Under-21 European Championships, where they were knocked out by England.

Romano reports that 'initial negotiations' have commenced with both Mosquera and Valencia over a deal for the youthful defender, who also clinched an Olympic gold medal with the Spain team during last year's Paris Games.

Arsenal ramp up transfer activity, but where are the attackers?

With Kiwior's future uncertain and Takehiro Tomiyasu out until 2026 with a knee injury, Arsenal could do far worse than add a defender of Mosquera's calibre and potential to their ranks after missing out on Huijsen's signature.

The 20-year-old could be one of four rearguard-focused signings to arrive in North London, as deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard have all either been completed or are on the verge of completion.

Even though Arteta's men still boasted the meanest defence last season, all of those acquisitions will be necessary owing to player departures, but the Gunners are still crying out for more impetus in the final third.

A new striker and left-winger are still on Andrea Berta's agenda, but there has been little movement on the Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres front, nor has there been any progress over an audacious move for Real Madrid's Rodrygo.

Arsenal getting their goalkeeping, defensive and midfield business done early is a solid start, but once those names are through the door, the search for offensive reinforcements must ramp up and ramp up quickly.

Written by
Ben Knapton