Arsenal will return with an improved offer for Cristhian Mosquera after Valencia rejected their opening bid for the 21-year-old centre-back earlier this week.
The first proposal, worth just under €19 million (£16 million), was swiftly dismissed by Valencia, who are holding out for a package closer to €25 million (£21.2 million).
According to Superdeporte, Andrea Berta, Arsenal’s sporting director, is now preparing a second approach that will include a higher base fee and additional performance-related variables to bring the total closer to the Spanish club’s valuation.
The club’s final package is likely to include between €3 million and €5 million in add-ons, depending on appearances and team performance benchmarks.
Berta, who previously tracked Mosquera while at Atlético Madrid, is understood to have made the defender a personal priority since his arrival in north London.
Both Berta and Mikel Arteta believe Mosquera would add depth and long-term quality behind established first-choice pairing Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba.
Arsenal’s interest is not new. Talks began informally in May, with formal negotiations intensifying following Mosquera’s participation in the U21 European Championship. Valencia rejected the initial offer made on Friday, and discussions are expected to resume in the coming days.
Mosquera, whose contract runs until June 2026, would be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement abroad in January if no new deal is reached.
Arsenal are aware of this timeline and are applying pressure accordingly, knowing that Carlos Corberán and former Chelsea man, Ron Gourlay, must either agree a sale now or risk losing leverage as the window progresses.
Valencia are also juggling other negotiations, including interest from Feyenoord in Yarek Gasiorowski, but Mosquera’s situation is more pressing due to his contract and current status as a key part of Corberán’s defence.
Arsenal remain confident that Mosquera wants the move. Valencia’s willingness to negotiate, coupled with the risk of losing the player for less in future, should hopefully work in their favour.