"I don’t mean to compare" - Arsenal summer signing Cristhian Mosquera claims Gunners have a player who is similar to Lamine Yamal

Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera has revealed that Max Dowman is similar to Barcelona star Lamine Yamal. He believes that the 15-year-old has a similar style to the Spaniard and has impressed in training.

Speaking to The Athletic, Mosquera admitted that he did not know much about Dowman, but the teenager caught his eye after a training session in Singapore during their pre-season. He admitted that the Arsenal teenagers play with a lot of maturity and said:

"I don't mean to compare, but his style and way of playing is like Lamine Yamal. His movements are Lamine-esque. I didn't have him on my radar and when I got to Singapore, he was already training and playing. When they told me he was 15, I couldn't believe it."

"He really is an incredible player, and I think he's going to be world-class. You see 17-and 18-year-olds like Myles (Lewis-Skelly) or Ethan (Nwaneri) and they play like they're 30, like they've been playing football their whole lives. It's incredible."

Mosquera has been linked with a switch from Spain to Colombia, as his parents are from Colombia. He has left the door open, amid reports that the Colombian FA want him in the national team next month in the buildup for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He said:

“When I was 14 or 15, Spain contacted me. At that time, I don’t remember having any conversations with Colombia. For now, I’ve continued my normal process with Spain. But I’m not closing any doors on anyone. I try to carry on with my day-to-day life at my club and let the doors open when they need to open."

Mosquera has played for the Spain youth teams and also captained the U21 side. He was linked with a switch to Colombia in 2023, but has not made a decision yet.

Cristhian Mosquera on his decision to join Arsenal

Cristhian Mosquera has hailed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta as a key reason to join the Gunners. He claimed that the Spaniard played an important role with the conversations ahead of the transfer and said:

“Arteta played a very important role. In the conversations I had, a very quick rapport was established between the coach and me. The confidence with which he spoke to me, that assurance, was what made me decide. Above all, he spoke to me with such confidence. He said he saw me as capable, that I was exactly the profile he needed.”

Cristhian Mosquera has played eight times for Arsenal, including two starts in the Premier League and one in the UEFA Champions League.