We are over a week into the January transfer window, and slowly but surely Palace are being linked to a number of different names, particularly at centre-back.
Of course, we are all familiar with Ronnie Edwards of Peterborough United, given that we have had interest in the 20-year-old defender since last summer. However, there is one relatively new and unfamiliar player that has emerged as a potential target for Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman over the last week.
According to The Evening Standard’s Dom Smith, Palace are “tracking a number of young defenders, including Cristhian Mosquera of Valencia.” So, who exactly is Cristhian Mosquera, and is he the right fit for Palace?.
Cristhian Mosquera is a 19-year-old Spanish centre-back for Valencia. Mosquera came through the Valencia youth setup, making his first team debut in January 2022 in a 1-0 win over CD Atletico Baleares in the Copa del Rey.
Despite being just 17-years-old, manager Jose Bordalas described him as the best player on the field that night. He went on to make his La Liga debut a couple of days later, starting against Sevilla, with the game finishing in a 1-1 draw. The centre-back would only go on to start another two games in the 2021-22 season, remaining mostly on the bench. The following season, the 18-year-old featured in Valencia’s starting eleven just once and only managed two appearances from the bench.
However, while this won’t fill Palace fans with much confidence, and justifiably so, it’s important to remember the context. After making his debut in the Copa del Rey and La Liga in quick succession, Mosquera was just 17-years-old, and it was clear Bordalas was easing the young man into the first-team environment. Many, including the Che faithful, expected Cristhian to kick on in the 2022-23 season under Gennaro Gattuso, but the circumstances surrounding the club, with regards to Peter Lim’s ownership and the need for points as they languished at the bottom of the table, didn’t make this possible.
The departures of several key personnel over the summer, along with the club’s inability to do much business, provided new manager Ruben Baraja with the perfect opportunity to reinvent a stagnating Valencia, subsequently enabling Mosquera to have a consistent run in the team and show off his quality. Since then, he’s been one of the first names on the team sheet, and for good reason. Having started 14 out of the 19 games played in La Liga for the Che this season, the Spaniard has become a pivotal part of the Baraja regime. A disciplined and well-organised unit, Baraja’s Valencia looks to build from the back, with a heavy emphasis on Mosquera, who plays a vital role in their ability to transition to attack with speed.
Commonly deployed at right centre-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation, the 19-year-old’s strengths mainly lie in his reading of the game, made notable by his good anticipation. Given Baraja’s style of play, Mosquera is a great ball carrier, often helping his team gain ground and push up the pitch. Also, it’s no surprise that he has an intimidating physical presence and is competent in the air, being that he is 6ft 3. Despite this, his most impressive attribute is his athletic capabilities.
According to the statistics website fbref, Mosquera has an 88.8% pass completion rate, the majority of which coming over a 15–30-yard distance. The defender has made 26 tackles this season, with 18 won. He has also made 19 blocks and 55 clearances. In terms of possession, Mosquera has 100% successful take-ons, 493 carries, a total distance of 2592 yards, eight progressive carries, four into the final third, and covering a distance of 1208 yards. With regards to aerial duals, he has won 25 and lost 26, with a success rate of 49%.
Overall, while the stats are not amazing, they are largely positive nonetheless. Following that, it is also important to remember that Mosquera has played 79.8% of available minutes this season, and it is the first time in his career where he has started on a consistent basis. At the tender age of 19, you would expect to see data similar to the above.
As is expected, in comparison to Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi, the Spaniard is inferior in pretty much every respect. However, there are a significant number of positives about Mosquera.
For example, despite starting five games less than Guehi, the 19-year-old has made just three less progressive carries, with eight this season. Also, Mosquera has won three more tackles than Guehi, with 18 compared to his 15, and they’ve come higher up the pitch in the mid to attacking third. He’s blocked more passes than the Eagles defensive duo and leads Guehi by four with regards to interceptions.
As he progresses further in his career, it is highly likely that the data will also improve, so we have to take this with a pinch of salt for now. Compared to other centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues with a similar profile in terms of his minutes played, Mosquera stands out in pass completion, successful take-ons, and tackles.
However, Mosquera does not possess the passing range of either Andersen or Guehi. This season, he has attempted just 42 long passes with a completion rate of 62.7%, while Andersen and Guehi have attempted a combined 473 long balls with a completion rate of 56%, less because they attempted more. Since the arrival of the defensive pair in 2021, this has been a huge part of Palace’s style of play, enabling the Eagles to stretch the opposition and bring the likes of Olise into the game. I have doubts about whether Mosquera could do the same thing.
What’s more, Mosquera is still extremely raw. This is his first season playing regularly for Valencia. In previous seasons, he has made just a handful of starts for the Che. Therefore, is it too early for the Premier League? And is his form from the start of the 2023-24 season too much of a small sample size to justify a move to Crystal Palace, and what is regarded as the best league in the world?.
Despite demonstrating a maturity unique for his age, Mosquera is prone to errors. In Valencia’s latest match against FC Cartagena, the 19-year-old was at fault for the opening goal. A simple lofted ball in behind, which Mosquera should have cut out, found the feet of the attacker, who was able to guide the ball into the bottom corner. The error highlighted the youthful age of the defender and that he still has things to work on.
To summarise, I believe this is a transfer that should wait until the summer. It’s plain for all to see that Mosquera has a huge amount of potential and an extremely high ceiling, but in my opinion, it is too early to take a gamble on a young centre back with limited experience in his own domestic league and no experience of what is considered the toughest league in the world.
I would like to see if he can keep his form up for the remainder of the season; only then would I be tempted to pull the trigger on the Spaniard.
