Arsenal
After 4 arrivals in as many weeks, Arsenal continued their summer season spending spree with the signing of Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera. However who’s the Spaniard, what is going to he deliver to the facet and why is he costing (as much as) £16 million?
Phil Costa stories.
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Cristhian Mosquera wasn’t all the time destined to play for Valencia (and even soccer for that matter) as a result of as a child, his old flame was truly basketball – till his cousin’s futsal workforce wanted some further gamers for a match of their hometown of Alicante. It was there the place he caught the bug and started to play extra usually, earlier than he was picked up by native facet Hercules and later regional giants Los Che.
Sadly for this historic membership, it’s been a turbulent decade beneath the possession of Peter Lim, and Mosquera has seen all of it. Regardless of two fourth place finishes in that timeframe, they’ve principally sat in mid-table and even flirted with relegation; aided by some shoddy switch enterprise, lacklustre managerial appointments and poor administration of their youth academy which has beforehand produced the likes of David Silva, Isco and Jordi Alba.
Usually, that type of surroundings doesn’t lend itself to creating younger gamers who want stability and safety to thrive. However because the defender got here into their senior squad in August 2023, he has began 70 league video games out of a attainable 72 – enjoying extra minutes than some other U-21 participant throughout Europe in that interval; and practically 1000 extra minutes than his nearest competitor Guillame Restes (who’s a goalkeeper).
He hasn’t simply been a spare half, however somebody who’s flourished with a way of duty and management alongside youthful companions following the departure of Gabriel Paulista, who he initially began alongside in defence. Possibly there’s an argument for progress coming from chaos and never order, in spite of everything.
There have been whispers about Arsenal’s just lately appointed sporting director Andrea Berta desirous to signal him for Atletico Madrid throughout his time in Spain, so this transfer isn’t solely shocking, however what can have stood out to him and others inside the recruitment workforce is his one-v-one defending. Enjoying totally on the left facet of defence (we’ll get to this later) alongside the taller, extra measured Cesar Tarrega, Mosquera is the aggressor who goes attempting to find the ball, is keen to leap out of place and capitalise on stray passes or poor first touches, to win possession again shortly, and get his workforce entering into transition.
Your mileage might fluctuate on this explicit comparability however there’s a contact of Antonio Rudiger about him, when it comes to their bodily profile, their gangly legs and sheer want to be as irritating for the opposition as attainable. However he isn’t reckless, and can solely go chasing if the fitting alternative presents itself which is a high quality younger defenders typically lack. Of all 195 gamers to aim 50+ true tackles in LaLiga final season, Mosquera had the best success price (76.7%) which not solely highlights his conviction and energy in duels, however a formidable sense of timing as nicely to evaluate conditions with a transparent head and keep away from charging in full-blooded.
His defensive fundamentals are sturdy and you may see the boldness he emits when remoted. He backs himself, and there’s an actual feeling of you’re not getting previous me – which then filters into the opposition when going through him. His method feels fairly boxer-like when he engages individuals, in that he lowers his stance, hunches ahead and bounces on his toes to make sure he can spring at any second.
He does go to floor often which can set off nightmares recollections about one other defender signed from Valencia, however Mosquera normally saves these challenges for safer areas the place penalties won’t be so heavy, versus central areas and even contained in the penalty field the place they’ll price you factors. Even then, his type is far cleaner, the place he’ll look to wrap a leg across the ball as an alternative of lunging in two-footed.
One other encouraging high quality for Arteta is that he’s equally snug being the sweeper, utilizing his spectacular restoration pace and lengthy strides to eat up large areas. The 21-year-old was imperious towards each Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr throughout Valencia’s shock 2-1 win on the Bernabeu in April, marshaling each gamers expertly but additionally matching them stride for stride when transitions arose.
So what’s he like in possession? We’ve been spoiled as a fanbase to have somebody as effortlessly sensible as William Saliba constructing play from deep, who crushes nearly each passing metric with a silk gown on, and a pipe in his mouth – however that has warped our brains as a result of nearly unrealistic requirements have been set.
Mosquera is snug on the ball and his numbers arise nicely, though I wish to see some extra journey every so often. The 21-year-old is protected, regular and can typically play quick passes to these closest to him (normally a full again or defensive midfielder) earlier than making himself obtainable once more. His cross completion price was 91.2% final season – greater than some other teammate – which deserves credit score contemplating he was enjoying on the left facet of defence and wanted to make use of his weaker foot loads; a problem he quickly welcomed.
He additionally averaged extra touches per sport, extra passes per sport and performed a better share of ahead passes final time period than the earlier marketing campaign. But it surely’s a comparatively low bar to clear, as a result of per Opta information, he ranked eleventh in La Liga for whole passes tried (2,048) however simply 76 of them (3.8%) of them ranked as progressive. Can he add some extra different passing into his repertoire? A punch via the traces, a fade out extensive, a dink excessive – completely. Though there’s hope, as a result of I didn’t assume a lot of Gabriel’s passing when he first joined and now he’s greater than succesful; possibly it’s one thing that wants time.
His carrying numbers ought to provide extra trigger for pleasure, as a result of solely six defenders throughout the highest flight recorded extra ball carries (503) than him final season – all of whom performed for extra possession-dominant sides. That’s simply one other methodology of development; solely barely completely different to what we usually take into consideration.
Nonetheless, one thing price keeping track of is his aerial means which stands out like a sore thumb. For somebody so tall and athletic, the distinction between his floor duel success price (70.7%) and his aerial duel success charges (45.2%) is stark, with Premier League gamers needing no second invitation to reap the benefits of somebody they contemplate weak in crowded penalty areas.
It’s a extremely unusual quirk in his sport with no apparent rationalization; is it a problem of method, positioning or timing? Possibly Mosquera simply doesn’t like to go the ball? Spanish soccer is unquestionably extra technical, extra “ball on the bottom” than others, however that is one thing that should enhance regardless of now having a goalkeeper behind him who can pluck balls out of the sky and one other centre again accomplice who heads them away for enjoyable.
Arsenal are successfully killing two birds with one signing. Not solely are they changing Takehiro Tomiyasu with a younger, versatile defender, however defending the hamstrings of Saliba and Gabriel as nicely. Clearly in the event that they’re match, they’ll play most video games and rightly so; we’re fortunate sufficient to have the most effective central defensive partnership in world soccer. However via harm and maybe Arteta not trusting the fringes of his squad sufficient, each of their seasons ended with hamstring accidents – one in every of which required surgical procedure.
The membership pushed for Dean Huijsen earlier this summer season (who profiles equally to Mosquera), so it’s clear they’d the sort of signing in thoughts, though he would have price 3 times extra and brought a substantial chunk out of our price range with different areas to strengthen. You possibly can argue Huijsen might be the higher participant proper now however might the membership accommodate his potential and want to play? With a full season of high flight soccer already beneath his belt, that might have been more and more troublesome until he was offered with sure ensures.
Mosquera joins the membership in that candy spot of being younger with potential to develop, whereas having already performed an honest quantity of senior soccer. This transfer might be a shock to the system for somebody who has solely ever identified the strategies and workings of 1 membership; new league, new language, new relationships – and we’ve seen with Jakub Kiwior how that takes time to handle. However there’s loads to be enthusiastic about regardless of his tough edges; and our minimal outlay ensures some stage of safety when assessing the longer term.
It’s not a straightforward factor to enhance the most effective defence within the league, however this signing isn’t solely about bringing in somebody new and thrilling; however about defending what we have already got. He helps us try this in each central defensive positions and at proper again too – and all for a really cheap value. The most effective time to restore your roof is when the solar is shining.
