Singapore, July 23 (IANS) Valencia’s Spain Under-21 defender Cristhian Mosquera is on the verge of signing for Arsenal after joining up with the squad on the club’s Asian tour in Singapore on Wednesday. Mosquera has reportedly agreed a five-year contract, with an option to extend his stay for a further year, with Arsenal paying Valencia an initial fee of 13 million pounds (17.6 million US dollars).

The 21-year-old Mosquera has been one of the few bright spots as Valencia has struggled to avoid relegation from La Liga in the past two seasons, with the youngster missing just two games in the 2023-24 campaign and just one last season, with his power in the air and pace vital factors in keeping the club in the elite.

He will be Arsenal’s fifth signing of the summer as the club aims to go one better than last season’s second place in the Premier League, with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and forward Noni Madueke signing from Chelsea, midfielder Christian Norgaard coming in from Brentford, and Martin Zubimendi joining from Real Sociedad, reports Xinhua.

Arsenal is also believed to be close to finalising a deal for Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, with talks reportedly at an “extremely advanced stage.”

Meanwhile, Zubimendi gave an interview on the club website explaining that Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta was one reason he had decided to join the north-London outfit.

“I don’t know what he saw in me, but what I saw in him is that he’s a top coach in Europe,” Zubimendi said. “When I wanted to leave (Real Sociedad), I wanted a quality coach. I’ve seen how obsessive and detailed he is with his game, so I think I’ve found the right one.”

“It’s a change for me. It’s the change I wanted. And since the first day I’ve been here, I’ve noticed the greatness of this club and I’m adapting,” said the Spain international.

–IANS

bsk/