Premier League giants Arsenal reportedly have their eyes set on 18-year-old Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda.
According to Fabrizio Romano in his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside, Arsenal have been regularly scouting Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda. The Gunners are interested in signing in a new right-back in the summer. And Fresneda is one of their transfer targets.
Romano said, “Despite reports to the contrary, at the moment I’m not aware of any negotiation between Arsenal and Inter for Dumfries. They are exploring right back options and Ivan Fresneda remains appreciated, they are sending scouts regularly to follow him, but Dumfries has completely different value for Inter and at the moment his situation is still quiet.”
Arsenal have been linked with Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries. But Romano believes that it is still quiet, and he is not aware of any negotiations for the player. The Gunners are completely focused on the 18-year-old and are sending their scouts to observe the Real Valladolid sensation.
Fresneda was a part of the Real Madrid youth academy back in the day. But, things did not go according to plan for him in La Fabrica. He joined Real Valladolid’s academy in 2020. he has gone from strength to strength since then.
The 18-year-old has moved up the ranks in no time and has established himself as a key player in the squad. He was added to Valladolid’s first team ahead of the ongoing season. And in just over six months he has proved in mettle in the Spanish top flight.
In the ongoing season, he has featured in 12 matches and has already managed to get over 800 minutes in his first season in the top flight. The Real Valladolid defender is expected to have an even bigger role in the second half of the season. Fresneda’s impressive performances have not gone unnoticed. A lot of clubs are interested in signing the teenager, including Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta is looking to sign a right-back ahead of next season. He wants to further strengthen his team and increase the bench strength as they are certain to return to the UEFA Champions League after seven long years. Arteta wants an upgrade on Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Both of them have done a decent job for the Gunners and are likely to continue at the club. But they do not offer much in the final third. Arteta wants to add a young full-back who has pace and can contribute to the attack. As a result, his interest in signing Ivan Fresneda is understandable.
However, Arsenal are not the only club interested. They will have to square up against Juventus and Manchester United who are also keen on signing the 18-year-old. It is going to be an interesting transfer tussle for the teenager.
