While the Gunners begin their prep on the pitch with a pre-season tour of Singapore, the work is also continuing behind the scenes, as Arsenal announced the signing of defender Cristhian Mosquera from La Liga side Valencia today, who signed a (insert length) deal. He will wear the number 3, previously worn by Kieran Tierney.
Building from the back.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 24, 2025
Cristhian Mosquera is a Gunner ✍️ pic.twitter.com/ySYdBYXPY7
The 21-year-old center back is the 5th official signing of the summer window for Arsenal and
represents another shrewd move by Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta to add depth to the squad ahead of what the club is hoping will be a big season.
Said Mikel Arteta:
We’re delighted to welcome Cristhian to Arsenal. As a 21-year-old defender, Cristhian has already performed consistently well with significant experience in La Liga. He is an intelligent player with good pace, who can play centrally and on both sides.
He is a young player with exciting talent and enormous potential, who will fit well into our squad as we continue to prepare for next season. Cristhian adds good quality to our squad, and we look forward to working with him and making him feel at home with us.
Following last season’s derailment by injuries, there has been a massive emphasis on filling out the squad with quality players that can be trusted by the manager, and the signings so far have reflected that. Of the five transfers so far this summer, only one of the confirmed signings (Martin Zubimendi) is an unequivocal starter. But depth has been a big talking point for Mikel Arteta since last season, and the transfers reflect that gap tremendously.
By the end of the 24/25 season, the Gunners roster was incredibly short with the defense held together by duct tape and prayers. Long-term injuries to Takehiro Tomiyasu, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Ben White were coupled with recurring injuries to Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber. Even the evergreen William Saliba suffered a hamstring injury at the end of the season, shining one final ugly light on the need for more defensive depth.
Mosquera is just the player to help round out the defense. Playing center back for Valencia for the last two seasons, the Spain U21 international has also featured at right back, providing the type of defensive versatility that Mikel Arteta heralds. With William Saliba ahead of him, he is unlikely to see major minutes, but the the opportunity to learn from one of the game’s top defenders and get his sea legs in the Premier League without too much pressure is ideal for the player and the club.
He has joined up with the squad in Singapore for the remainder of the pre-season tour. Whether or not he will feature during any of the upcoming matches against Newcastle and Tottenham is unclear, but he can hop into team training and start getting up to speed
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