Winners and Losers from Cristhian Mosquera’s imminent Arsenal transfer, with one star’s exit now all but confirmed

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Arsenal are reportedly close to completing the signing of Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia for £17 million.

The Gunners are eager to add another defender to their ranks as they look to provide Mikel Arteta with greater options at the heart of his team’s backline.

Marc Guehi has been linked with Arsenal, but the England international is reluctant to join the North London club due to the presence of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in Arteta’s squad.

This competition doesn’t faze Mosquera, with the Spaniard eager to join the Gunners as Andrea Berta looks to accelerate the deal in order to get the player through the door in time for pre-season.

With that said, here are four Arsenal players who would be impacted by the signing of Mosquera.

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Winners from Arsenal signing Cristhian Mosquera

William Saliba

William Saliba played every single Premier League minute in the 2023/24 season, before starting 35 of 38 league games last campaign.

This is arguably not sustainable, and the Frenchman will require more frequent rests over the next few seasons if he’s to maintain his level, particularly as he’s also a first-choice option for Les Blues.

Previously, Arteta hasn’t had options he trusts in his squad to leave Saliba on the bench from time to time, with the likes of Rob Holding deputising for him.

However, the arrival of Mosquera will give the Spanish boss a player who can reliably fill in for the 24-year-old at right-centre-back, and the same goes for Gabriel.

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Myles Lewis-Skelly

Arsenal had been heavily linked with Jorrel Hato prior to the Mosquera links intensifying.

While Hato can play as a centre-back, the Dutchman has predominantly been a left-back throughout his short career thus far.

He no doubt would’ve threatened some of Myles Lewis-Skelly’s minutes, potentially hindering the Hale End star’s development somewhat.

Mosquera won’t play at left-back in any capacity, while Lewis-Skelly’s closest competitor Riccardo Calafiori will likely spend some time at left-centre-back, freeing up the 18-year-old to dominate the left-hand side of the Gunners’ backline.

Losers from Arsenal signing Cristhian Mosquera

Jakub Kiwior

The most obvious loser from the signing of Mosquera will be Jakub Kiwior.

The Pole became the undisputed centre-back back-up last season, filling in for both Saliba and Gabriel when either of them was absent.

Mosquera is essentially arriving to fulfil this role in the squad, meaning Kiwior subsequently becomes surplus to requirements.

AC Milan are interested in Kiwior, and this deal surely confirms that Arsenal will sanction his departure.

Takehiro Tomiyasu

It’s been a miserable 12 months for Takehiro Tomiyasu, who was limited to just one cameo appearance for Arsenal last season due to injury.

The Japanese international’s time in N5 has been plagued by fitness issues, and he doesn’t appear to be close to a return to the pitch.

Arsenal expect Tomiyasu to be fit by the end of 2025, and when he does return, his role will be unclear.

He was a genuine option to be the auxiliary defender who could fill in across the backline, but Mosquera will provide him with another player to compete with in the centre-back positions.