Arsenal scouts were amongst those from over a dozen other European clubs watching Spain’s U19 European Championship qualifier against Austria earlier this week. The Gunners sent representatives to keep tabs on the next generation of Spanish talent, and Valencia duo Jesus Vazquez and Cristhian Mosquera particularly caught their eye.
According to Super Deporte, Vazquez and Mosquera had Arsenal scouts’ ‘full attention’ during the 2-2 draw. Whilst Spain were left disappointed by the result after leading 2-0 at half-time, the Valencia stars showcased ‘outstanding’ displays in defence.
Mosquera, a 17-year-old centre-back, has made five senior appearances for Valencia this season. Meanwhile, Vazquez, a 19-year-old left-back, has featured in 10 games for Jose Bordalas’ side, and the report labels both as ‘natural leaders’ for Spain at U19 level.
And their performances against Austria didn’t go amiss amongst scouts from up to 18 European clubs, including Arsenal, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. Both players’ ‘physical and technical conditions’ impressed, in particular, and they will now likely be on many radars.
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Valencia will be under no pressure if they face heavyweight interest, given Mosquera and Vazquez are both currently contracted until 2025. On top of that, the former has a release clause worth £20.8million (€25m), a fee which would represent quite a risk for an unproven teenager.
Even if both stars impressed Arsenal figures, it’s unlikely the club would make a move in the near future, given the array of young defenders currently at Mikel Arteta’s disposal. Both starting centre-backs Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes are 24, and 21-year-old William Saliba will return from an impressive loan spell at Marseille this summer.
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At left-back, Arteta recruited Benfica left-back Nuno Tavares, 22, last summer as one of many young signings he’s focused on making as manager at the Emirates Stadium. And his transfer strategy, eyeing players aged 24 or under, is starting to bear fruit as the Gunners look in a solid position to secure fourth and a Champions League return.
Given what the Spanish outlet is reporting, Vazquez and Mosquera will likely be pinpointed as ones to watch for Arsenal and many other top clubs. Both defenders look destined for big futures for club and country, and the club’s decision to take a closer look early on in their careers could be rewarded down the line.
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