Everton have entered the race for Cristhian Mosquera, while Arsenal may now be willing to seal a transfer this summer.
The 21-year-old has found it difficult to hold down a consistent place in the starting XI this season, with Mikel Arteta largely giving William Saliba and Gabriel the nod at the heart of the defense where they have been.
However, Arteta has made it clear that he is a huge fan of the youngster, saying after the 3-1 win against Bayern Munich in November: “I think he was really good.
“And Piero [Hincapié]we need to understand where you are coming from. He came from Ecuador after playing two 90s in a big problem – he played the derby, the first start he had in the Premier League, and he finished the game very, very tired. [But] It’s good that we have Mosquera who can play in different places. She was very nice I think, both and William [Saliba].”
The Arsenal boss is not alone in his admiration for the Spaniard, with team-mate Declan Rice hailing him as “amazing” in December.
Everton have entered the race to sign Mosquera
However, despite the youngster receiving plenty of praise, the Gunners could be ready to splash the cash this summer, with a report from Sports Boom revealing they will ‘open the door’ to an offer in the region of €45m – €50m (£39m – £44m).
Everton have also been named as the toughest rivals to sign Mosquera, although there could be plenty of competition for his signature, with AFC Bournemouth, Atalanta, Napoli, Benfica, AS Monaco and Marseille all keen.
However, the most likely scenario is that Arsenal agree to a loan deal, rather than a permanent move, because the midfielder is highly regarded by Arteta, and the Spaniard sees him as Gabriel’s heir.
Not only has the defender caught the eye at club level, but he has also started to work his way into Spain’s plans, picking up his first two games in the recent international break, where he kept two clean sheets, with the Valencia man particularly impressive in their 0-0 draw with Egypt.
|
Key statistics of Cristhian Mosquera vs Egypt |
The number has been completed |
|
Duels (won) |
3 (3) |
|
Accurate passes |
101/103 (98%) |
|
Key passes |
3 |
|
Erasure |
1 |
The Toffees are looking for a new defender amid a push for Europe
Everton have the fourth best defensive record in the Premier League this season, conceding just 37 goals, but may need to bring in a new defender soon, as James Tarkowski could be in the final stages of his career at the age of 33.
The Premier League star is set to play for Everton next season as the Toffees hold transfer talks
Merseysiders have been given the power to hire.
The Toffees will be in a good position to attract top-quality players if they get over the line in their European push, with David Moyes’ side now one point behind sixth-placed Chelsea, after a 2-2 draw with Brentford at the weekend.
