West Ham United, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace are battling it out for the signature of Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda.
According to a report from AS, Ivan Fresneda’s representatives are in London today for meetings regarding his future, with Crystal Palace and West Ham United “very interested” in rivalling Chelsea for the defender’s signature before the summer transfer window slams shut.
The Madrid-born defender joined Real Madrid’s youth setup in 2014 before leaving the club in 2018. He eventually signed for Valladolid in 2020 and made his professional debut for La Pucela in January 2022, starting in a Copa del Rey match against Real Betis, aged just 17. He went on to make his league debut in September 2022 and has since become a regular member of the first-team squad.
Despite his young age and only forging 26 appearances at the senior level so far, he has firmly established himself as one of the hottest-rated prospects in Europe and has been linked with top clubs for the best part of the year as he looks to take the next step in his career.
After a move to Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund fell through earlier this summer, the right-back gave the green light to join Barcelona several weeks ago, but his camp has apparently been left disappointed that the chance to join Barcelona has fallen through, with manager Xavi preferring a more experienced option amid talks with Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo.
That has “hastened” the urgency to find another destination, so Premier League suitors Chelsea, West Ham, and Palace could fancy their prospects of landing a coup if their meetings go well. His physicality, pace, directness, and attacking threat going forward mean he is more than capable of becoming a useful asset for a Premier League outfit.
Chelsea, who have already signed eight players this summer, seem to be in the market for a replacement for captain Reece James, who suffered a muscle injury in training and is set to miss a chunk of the season. The Blues’ already have Malo Gusto as a cover to James, but they are still looking to offload Trevoh Chalobah, so Fresneda could become a solid option and relatively low-cost.
West Ham, meanwhile, are looking to sign a talented young right-back with pace and power to burn in order to upgrade upon Vladimir Coufal, who has been a solid and reliable servant for the Hammers but lacks modern full-back attributes.
Furthermore, back-up right-back Ben Johnson has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium this summer, with Championship side Southampton taking a keen interest in the 23-year-old’s services. Johnson’s contract expires in 2024, so recouping a fee for the Hammers’ academy product as well as reinvesting in a coveted talent like Fresneda will be a seriously good piece of business for West Ham.
Crystal Palace, who currently have two right-backs well into their thirties in Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward, have also made contact with Real Valladolid to enquire about the possibility of signing the exciting defender as they look to add fresh impetus and young blood in the full-back department.
