Arsenal face competition from Bournemouth in race to sign 20-year-old defender: Reports

Arsenal will face competition from Bournemouth in the race to sign Cristhian Mosquera this summer, according to Cadena SER. The Gunners are apparently in the market for a new defender amid concerns about William Saliba's future.

The French defender is reportedly being courted by Real Madrid, forcing the north London side to keep their options open. Saliba has been outstanding under Mikel Arteta in recent times, registering 51 appearances across competitions in the 2024-25 campaign.

It was previously reported that Arsenal have identified Mosquera as the 24-year-old's replacement. The Spanish defender has caught the eye with Valencia this season, appearing 41 times in all competitions.

Mosquera, interestingly, will be out of contract in 2026, making him an enticing prospect for the north London side. However, it is now being reported that Bournemouth have entered the race for the 20-year-old.

The Cherries are looking for a replacement for Dean Huijsen, who moved to Real Madrid this summer. With Illya Zabarnyi in talks to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Milos Kerkez expected to move to Liverpool, Bournemouth are likely to have funds to spare for new names.

That could pose a problem for the Gunners in their pursuit of Mosquera. The young defender is valued at €30m, as per Transfermarkt, but could ignite a bidding war for his services this summer.

Are Arsenal eyeing a move for Vladyslav Vanat this summer?

Arsenal have been offered the chance to Vladyslav Vanat this summer, according to Just Arsenal. The Ukrainian striker has been in fine form for Dynamo Kyiv this season, registering 21 goals and nine assists from 45 games.

His efforts have already earned him admirers at Tottenham Hotspur, who are looking to add competition for Dominic Solanke to their squad. Meanwhile, Everton and Leeds United are apparently in the race for the 23-year-old as well.

The Gunners have now been afforded the chance to pick up the player from right under their local rivals' noses. New Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is now planning a move for Vanat, who apparently has a £17m release clause in his deal.

The Gunners are looking for a new striker this summer, with Gabriel Jesus failing to impress. Recent reports have named Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko, Victor Osimhen and Dusan Vlahovic as options, while Vanat has now emerged as a target. However, the report adds that Mikel Arteta doesn't consider the player a priority for the job this summer.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

Know More

Edited by Deepungsu Pandit