Arsenal quietly pulled off the Premier League's biggest bargain

After a derby day demolition, Arsenal fans well and truly believe that the Premier League title race is back on. On Sunday, just as they had done 91 days earlier, the Gunners smashed a hapless Spurs 4-1 at a dejected Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Two summer signings, namely Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyökeres bagged braces in N17, but neither are in contention to be Arsenal's best value for money signing of last summer. That accolade very much belongs to Cristhian Mosquera.

The 21 year old arrived from Valencia last July for a reported fee of only £13 million. Mestalla is a good place to shop for bargains these days, as Peter Lim continues to run los Che into the ground, so much so that the six-times Spanish champions are in danger of being relegated to the Segunda División for the first time since the '80s.

Despite his youthfulness, Mosquera made 90 senior appearances for Valencia, having joined the club as a 12-year-old, leaving his family to live on site with the club. Last season, he started all bar one of los Che's La Liga matches, the only one he missed a 7-1 drubbing at the hands of Barcelona at Montjuïc. Having continued to impress since moving to Arsenal, his value will have exponentially increased. So, how does Mosquera compare to other Premier League bargain singings?

Biggest bargain signings Premier League 2025/26

As already outlined, the £13 million to secure Mosquera's signature looks like a real snip. According to Football Transfers, the defender is now worth around £46 million, more than three times his summer value. However, how does he compare to other bargains signings in the last 12 months?

For this, we're only examining players signed by Premier League clubs for £15 million or less last summer of in January, and players who've transferred on a free are excluded.

Best Premier League bargain signings 2025/26

Surpringly very few players are actually signed by Premier League clubs for £15m or less, meaning Mosquera has to be in contention to be the best bargain of the season. Sunderland are seemingly the best at snapping up a great deal, bringing in Robin Roes, Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele for a combined £31m.

Igor Jesus meantime has been very productive for Nottingham Forest, netting 12 times, most recently on target at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in İstanbul against Fenerbahçe last Thursday, albeit only two of these goals have come in the Premier League.

So, while Mosquera has played by far the fewest minutes of any player on the list, has surely ranks right at he top in terms of potential. In previous campaigns, being without Gabriel or William Saliba felt catastrophic, but it is a credit to the Spaniard that he can slot in and do an impression of either. £13m for the 21 year old could be one of the best value for money deals Arsenal ever do.