Everton have surged into the race for Cristhian Mosquera, and Arsenal may now be willing to sanction a transfer this summer.
The 21-year-old has found it difficult to hold down a consistent place in the starting XI this season, given that Mikel Arteta has predominantly given William Saliba and Gabriel the nod at the heart of defence when they’ve been available.
However, Arteta has made it clear he is a big fan of the youngster, saying after a 3-1 victory against Bayern Munich back in November: “I think he was really good.
“With Piero [Hincapié], we need to understand where he’s coming from. He came from Ecuador after playing two 90s in big trouble – played the derby, the first start that he had in the Premier League, and he finished the game very, very tired. [But] that’s the good thing that we have Mosquera who he can play in different positions. He was superb I think, both together with William [Saliba].”
The Arsenal boss isn’t alone in his admiration of the Spaniard, with teammate Declan Rice lauding him as “incredible” in December.
Everton enter race to sign Mosquera
However, despite the youngster receiving plenty of plaudits, the Gunners could be prepared to cash-in this summer, with a report from Sports Boom revealing they would ‘open the door’ to offers in the region of €45m – €50m (£39m – £44m).
Everton are also named as very serious contenders to sign Mosquera, although there could be plenty of competition for his signature, with AFC Bournemouth, Atalanta, Napoli, Benfica, AS Monaco and Marseille keen.
However, the most likely scenario is Arsenal sanctioning a loan deal, rather than a permanent departure, given that the centre-back is very highly regarded by Arteta, with the Spaniard viewing him as an heir to Gabriel.
Not only has the defender caught the eye at club level, but he has also started to force his way into Spain’s plans, picking up his first two caps in the recent international break, during which he kept two clean sheets, with the ex-Valencia man particularly impressing in a 0-0 draw against Egypt.
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Cristhian Mosquera’s key stats vs Egypt |
Number completed |
|
Duels (won) |
3 (3) |
|
Accurate passes |
101/103 (98%) |
|
Key passes |
3 |
|
Clearances |
1 |
Toffees eyeing new defender amid push for Europe
Everton have the joint-fourth best defensive record in the Premier League this season, having conceded just 37 goals, but they may need to bring in a new centre-back soon, given that James Tarkowski could be in the latter stages of his career at 33-years-old.
Premier League star keen to play for Everton next season as Toffees schedule transfer talks
The Merseysiders have been given a recruitment boost.
The Toffees will be well-placed to attract some top players if they get over the line in their push for Europe, with David Moyes‘ side now just one point adrift of sixth-place Chelsea, after the 2-2 draw against Brentford at the weekend.