Arsenal bid for defender 'rejected' as Mikel Arteta at risk of missing out on summer target

Arsenal's talks with Valencia for defender Cristhian Mosquera have reportedly stalled following news of a rejected a bid.

After a period of relative inactivity in June, the Gunners appear to be making significant progress on a number of transfers, with Martin Zubimendi's signing confirmed.

Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres has seemingly chosen the Emirates as his preferred destination, though a deal has not yet been agreed with the Portuguese side.

While many fans are particularly keen for offensive reinforcements, boss Mikel Arteta is said to still be interested in bringing extra defensive cover, and Valencia centre-back Mosquera has been linked.

However, The Mirror claim that negotiations have hit a significant hurdle after Arsenal had a bid of £12m rejected, with the La Liga club demanding a fee in excess of £20m.

Do Arsenal need more defenders?

Arsenal could be said to be acting opportunistically in their attempts to sign Mosquera given the 21-year-old only has one year remaining on his contract.

However, Arteta has faced criticism from pundits such as Jamie Carragher for focusing too much of his attention on his team's defence, with accusations that the Gunners' attack has consequently suffered.

In the summer of 2024, the likes of Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino were brought to the club, while Raheem Sterling was the only forward addition.

Sterling only made seven starts in the Premier League in 2024-25, and he has since returned to Chelsea following the conclusion of his loan spell.

The Gunners already boast a number of defensive players capable of featuring across the backline, with Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and Ben White all capable of playing as a central or wide defender.

First-choice centre-back William Saliba at times struggled without his regular partner Gabriel Magalhaes, so perhaps Arteta is looking to prevent any further issues from arising.

Having said that, considering Arsenal's tally of 69 Premier League goals last term was 17 fewer than champions Liverpool, there is an argument that strengthening up front should be seen as much more of a priority.

Written by
Lewis Nolan