Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has shown over the years that he can be ruthless.
The Spaniard is one of the best managers in world football, and he has just won the Premier League title as well.
After the high of winning the title, Arsenal suffered the heartbreak of losing the Champions League final against PSG in Budapest.
One player who made a mistake in that game could be about to get punished – Cristhian Mosquera.
Now that you’ve all had time to reflect, why did Arsenal lose the Champions League final?
Mikel Arteta may be about to punish Cristhian Mosquera for his Champions League final error
Mikel Arteta was forced to start Mosquera at right-back in the Champions League final.
Ben White was ruled out due to an injury, while Jurrien Timber was also struggling with an issue and wasn’t ready to start.
Mosquera had impressed all season whenever he had played, and Arteta’s trust in him to start the final in Budapest was justified.
However, the young Spaniard conceded a penalty that allowed PSG to equalise and take the game to penalties, and the rest is history.
That incident may have convinced Arteta that Mosquera is not quite ready to be a reliable backup, which is perhaps why Arsenal are looking to sign Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa.
The Daily Mail have claimed that the Englishman’s ability to play as a centre-back as well as right-back has led to the Gunners discussing a potential move to sign him.
That role belonged to Mosquera last season, but if Konsa comes in, we can’t see the former Valencia man getting much game time.
All this could easily be down to his mistake in the Champions League final, and as harsh as it is, this could be Arteta’s way of punishing him.
Arsenal signed Cristhian Mosquera for just £13m. How much is he worth today?
Cristhian Mosquera still has the potential to be an Arsenal superstar
Konsa potentially joining Arsenal should have no bearing on Mosquera’s long-term future at the club.
The Spain international showed several times last season that he has massive potential. He is good on the ball, solid without it, and dealt with almost everything the Premier League threw at him in his debut campaign.
Furthermore, Mosquera is still only 22 years old, and he has all the time in the world to develop into a world-class centre-half.
Regardless of what happens in the upcoming campaign, we think Mosquera will become a superstar defender in the coming years.
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