Arteta joke seen as thinly veiled Arsenal threat - Club left unimpressed after sour transfer exit

Valencia are reportedly unhappy with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's joke about signing Cristhian Mosquera's younger brother, Julian. This follows Cristhian Mosquera's transfer to Arsenal, which was delayed by bureaucratic procedures despite being finalized days earlier, leading to his official announcement on Thursday. Mosquera leaves Valencia after joining at age 12 and rising through their academy.

Valencia expressed displeasure in a statement, claiming they were forced into the €15m deal (potentially rising to €20m with bonuses) due to Mosquera's "unwillingness to renew" his contract, which ran until 2026. They reportedly value him at double the fee. Their dissatisfaction extended to seeing Arteta jokingly "threaten" to sign 14-year-old Julian Mosquera during Cristhian's signing ceremony.

During the ceremony, Arteta handed a pen to Julian, telling him "so you can visualise it for the future," before laughing and stating "he's very good." While intended as a joke, Valencia interpreted it as a threat and are determined to maintain a "tight grip" on Julian, considered a gem of their youth academy.

FIFA regulations prevent Julian from moving abroad until he is 16 unless his parents relocate. Reports indicate the Mosquera parents are very happy with Valencia's treatment of their children and won't move. Despite this, Julian has previously admitted his dream is to play alongside his older brother, making Arteta's gesture, though a joke, appear as a potential future threat from Arsenal to Valencia.