Barcelona will reportedly turn to 19-year-old Spaniard Ivan Fresneda if they fail to complete a permanent move for Joao Cancelo.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Joao Cancelo is the top target for the right-back berth heading into the summer transfer window. But there are no guarantees that the Blaugrana will successfully complete a permanent move for the Manchester City loanee. So, they have set their sights on 19-year-old Real Valladolid full-back Ivan Fresneda.
Who is Ivan Fresneda?
Ivan Fresneda is a former trainee of Real Madrid’s fabled La Fabrica division. The Spaniard passed through the academies at five clubs before graduating from the Real Valladolid youth setup. He took little time to establish a foothold in the first-team squad at the Spanish club and featured regularly last season in La Liga.
The 19-year-old was among the bright spots for Real Valladolid as the club failed to avoid relegation from La Liga. Fresneda’s exploits piqued the interest of several high-profile clubs across Europe before Sporting CP won the race to sign him. But the youngster has barely featured for the Portuguese giants thus far this term.
Fresneda has managed only 169 minutes of game time across six appearances thus far this term. However, the Spanish full-back’s stock remains high, with several European bigwigs keen on signing him in the summer transfer window. And his next destination might be Barcelona.
Barcelona Still Interested in Fresneda
Barcelona had been keen on signing Ivan Fresneda from Real Valladolid before Sporting CP swooped him away last summer. The continued interest in the 19-year-old Spaniard stems from the uncertainties surrounding the long-term future of Joao Cancelo, Barcelona’s top right-back target for the summer transfer window.
Cancelo has been a top-notch addition to the Barcelona squad, and he has been among the team’s best players this term. So, it is hardly surprising that the reigning La Liga champions want a permanent move for the Portuguese international. But Barcelona’s never-ending financial mess is creating issues as they cannot meet Manchester City’s valuation.
With the Premier League champions ready to sell Cancelo to the highest bidder, it behoves the Catalan giants to keep their options open. Fresneda is thus a viable target, although Barcelona will prefer to retain Cancelo’s services heading into the 2024/25 season.
