There are plenty of stats that could sum up Cristhian Mosquera’s remarkable start to life at Arsenal, but one stands out.
Mosquera has made three appearances for Arsenal in the Premier League, including 85 minutes at Anfield, without committing a single foul.
It is a feat made even more impressive given that only Jurrien Timber has made more tackles for Arsenal this season.
“He has done amazing, especially when he is still so young,” said Timber. “The way he comes in, it looks so easy so for him - winning his duels and on the ball as well. I think he has a bright future ahead as well.”
It is early days, but Arsenal appear to have bagged a bargain after paying Valencia an initial fee of £13million to sign Mosquera in the summer.
Arsenal went into the transfer window wanting competition and cover for William Saliba, who has played over 3,000 minutes in the Premier League in each of the past two seasons.
Dean Huijsen and Marc Guehi were among the players Arsenal looked at, but they swooped for Mosquera.
The defender was not unhappy at Valencia, whose academy he came through, and he only wanted to leave if a top club came calling.
Mosquera wanted to join a side where he could challenge for trophies while continuing to play regularly.
Valencia had hoped to secure a higher fee amid interest from other clubs, but Mosquera informed them that he only wanted to move to Arsenal.
Negotiations were led by Arsenal’s sporting director, Andrea Berta, who was aware of Mosquera during his time working at Atletico Madrid - and the fact he only had one year left on his contract at Valencia.
Mikel Arteta’s input sealed the deal and Arsenal’s strong contingent of Spanish-speaking players are now helping Mosquera settle in London.
The youngster made the move to England on his own, though his agent and family regularly visit him.
“This kid wants it a lot and he’s so willing to learn,” said Arteta. “He’s got some great qualities that fit very well in any position that we want to use him in relation to the connections and the qualities of the other defenders.”
Mosquera was praised in Spain for being a brilliant one-on-one defender and he is living up to that hype in the Premier League.
The Spaniard has won eight of his nine ground duels at a success rate of 88.9 per cent, the best in Arsenal’s squad and the highest in the Premier League among players with at least 200 minutes of action this season.
Arsenal’s recruitment team were attracted to Mosquera’s speed, but also his versatility. Indeed, he is viewed as an option at right-back, if needed, and played there in pre-season.
The Gunners were also impressed by the first-team experience that Mosquera had under his belt, despite his age. He featured in 37 of Valencia’s 38 La Liga games last season, playing 90 minutes in each of his appearances.
Over the past two seasons, Mosquera has played almost 6,400 minutes in La Liga, more than any player under 21 in Europe’s top five leagues, according to Opta.
Arteta has backed Mosquera to “push” Saliba and he has done well in the Frenchman’s absence.
Mosquera was thrown in at the deep end after being brought on for Saliba just five minutes into Arsenal’s clash at Anfield last month.
The 21-year-old held his own and he has continued to impress, which has afforded Arteta the luxury of not having to rush Saliba back from injury.
Mosquera has earned plaudits for his defensive work, but also his ability on the ball - another area Arsenal’s recruitment team highlighted. The Spaniard has misplaced just 11 of his 143 passes in the Premier League, so far.
There are areas of his game that still need developing, most notably in the air, but the same was true of Saliba when he first broke into the Arsenal team.
Playing alongside Gabriel has helped Mosquera in that respect, with the Brazilian dominant when it comes to heading.
Mosquera can learn off Gabriel and Saliba, and that is another reason the move to Arsenal was so attractive for him.
The 21-year-old is hungry to improve and the chance to learn off two of the best centre-backs in the world will only make him a better player.
“It’s an opportunity that came up and I couldn’t let it pass me by,” said Mosquera when he signed in July.
“I’m joining a historic, massive club. When you arrive here with your family, you really feel the greatness of this place.”
