Arsenal keen on £26.5m defender, Edu met his representatives in January
Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Ivan Fresneda from Real Valladolid.
According to journalist Kaya Kaynak, Arsenal sporting director Edu met with the player’s representatives back in January and they remain keen on signing the player at the end of the season. However, the Gunners will face competition from a number of clubs.
Apparently Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund are looking to sign the 18-year-old defender as well.
Kaynak said to GiveMeSport: “The meetings took place in January between Edu and the player’s representatives. There are a lot of teams that are interested in Fresneda and this is a running theme throughout Arsenal’s transfer business.
“Lots of teams are interested in trying to sign their targets. We saw this in January with Mudryk and Caicedo as well. It’s the same with Fresneda because Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund are interested, so there is lots of competition for him.”
Fresneda has established himself as one of the best young defenders in the Spanish league and he has a big future ahead of him. Arsenal could definitely use reinforcements in the full-back department and the 18-year-old could prove to be a quality acquisition.
Mikel Arteta has used Ben White as his right-back this season but the former Brighton star is a central defender. The arrival of Fresneda will allow him to play in his natural role next season.
Fresneda has the potential to develop into a top-class defender and Arteta could help him develop with regular football at the Emirates. Newcastle certainly have more financial resources compared to the Gunners but Arsenal are likely to be a more attractive option. They are more likely to secure Champions League qualification and they could end up winning the Premier League title this season as well.
Meanwhile, Dortmund are unlikely to be able to compete with Arsenal and Newcastle in terms of finances. However, the German club have a proven track record of nurturing talented young players into established stars and that could appeal to the defender.
Fresneda is certainly a prodigious talent and he needs to choose his next club carefully. The Spaniard will have to join a club where he will get ample game time and it remains to be seen where he ends up.
The player has a £26.5 million release clause in his contract.
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