Arsenal could yet sign another defender after Cristhian Mosquera this summer, Andrea Berta wants ‘generational’ star

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Arsenal are set to sign Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia, and this may not be the final defensive acquisition that Andrea Berta makes this summer.

The Gunners have been criticised for prioritising the addition of defenders over forwards in recent years, with the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko all signed by Mikel Arteta.

However, the North London outfit have addressed their offensive deficiencies in this window, with both Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres set to sign from Chelsea and Sporting respectively.

Mosquera will arrive in a £17 million deal, plugging the hole left by Tomiyasu, who was released this summer.

• READ MORE: Confirmed Arsenal summer 2025 transfer ins and outs, signings and done deals

Arsenal could still sign Jorrel Hato this summer

While the right-hand side of Arsenal’s defence should have sufficient depth once Mosquera arrives, with White, Timber and William Saliba all operating in this area of the pitch, the left-hand side could be left short.

Kieran Tierney has already departed for Celtic, while the futures of Kiwior and Zinchenko are uncertain.

AC Milan have shown interest in both Kiwior and Zinchenko, and at the very least, one is expected to leave.

If both players exit N5 this summer, it’ll leave Arteta with just 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, an injury-prone Calafiori, and Gabriel to fill two positions.

Thus, Arsenal could still make a move for the ‘generational’ Jorrel Hato, who has been heavily linked with the Gunners for over a year.

“Ajax are quoting clubs £60 million, which is not a kind of fee that is gonna be paid by either club [Arsenal and Chelsea],” journalist Ben Jacobs told the Market Madness podcast.

“Both feel maybe a fee in the region of £40 million or 50 million euros might be good enough to strike a deal with Ajax, and that would be including add-ons, by the way. Hato is hoping to make a decision on his future sooner rather than later, ideally before the month is out.

“He doesn’t want this to drag on throughout the window. 12 months ago he was quite close to joining Arsenal, but the feeling from Arsenal, having started talks, was that Ajax would be the stumbling block and they would be able to persuade the player in the end to stay another year, and that was exactly what happened.

“Now, Arsenal could sign a left-back, and Hato is capable of playing there, but with Mosquera coming in, the notion of another young defender is downplayed by sources in the centre-back position, and that is where Ajax have played Hato at the moment.”

Would Jorrel Hato block Myles Lewis-Skelly’s development?

Contrary to Jacobs’ comments, Hato has been deployed predominantly as a left-back by Ajax in recent times.

While he’s more than adept at centre-back, the 19-year-old shares similarities to Lewis-Skelly when he plays as a full-back.

Excellent in possession and press resistant, Hato is capable of inverting into midfield.

Thus, it can certainly be argued that there may not be room in Arteta’s squad for Hato and Lewis-Skelly to coexist.

That said, if Kiwior and Zinchenko both go, then the Dutchman’s profile is the perfect replacement for the duo, given he can do what both players were able to offer to a high level.

Lewis-Skelly would likely remain the first-choice left-back if Hato were to come in, with the Netherlands under-21 international playing a squad role.

Signing Hato while he’s available on the market to Arsenal would be sensible squad-building from Berta.