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Arsenal ready to revive interest in Ivan Fresneda

By Ritayan Chatterjee on March 16, 2023

Arsenal are reportedly ready to reignite their interest in signing Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda in the upcoming summer window, as per the Evening Standard journalist Simon Collings.

The 18-year-old has burst onto the scene after displaying strings of impressive performances with Pacheta’s side during the early stages of this season. Having showcased glimpses of his talent in La Liga, the Spaniard has caught the attention of several big European clubs with Arsenal being among them.

The Spaniard was heavily linked with a move to the north London club during the winter window and it was even suggested that the Gunners had agreed on a £13m fee with Valladolid to purchase the fullback. However, a deal didn’t materialise and in the end, the player remained at the Estadio José Zorrilla.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Collings has claimed that Arsenal are prepared to rekindle their interest in signing Fresneda at the end of this season and the defender would be open to a move to Emirates Stadium if the north London club guarantee him regular first-team football.

Fresneda to Arsenal

However, the journalist says that purchasing Fresneda won’t be easy for the north London club as Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United and Juventus are also eyeing swoop for the Valladolid starlet.

Collings said:

“Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Newcastle United, they were the four that had the biggest interests in January and it’s likely to be those guys again.

“I think the attraction from Arsenal and also Dortmund is their track record of developing young players. He wants to keep playing regular first-team football, certainly getting as many minutes as he can.

“He’s got that at Valladolid and if he can get that at a club like Arsenal or Dortmund, I think it’d be the next step for him. But yeah, he’s going to be someone on Arsenal’s radar this summer, but a lot of clubs really want to take him too.”

Arteta likes to deploy inverted fullbacks who are technically sound and comfortable dictating the game from midfield. Fresneda could be an ideal option as he can play threading passes between the lines, has an eye for long-range passing and also is strong in defensive contribution.

So, Fresneda would be a solid long-term replacement for Cedric Soares – who joined Fulham during the January window. However, the Valladolid man is still very young and is likely to take time to settle down in the Premier League if he were to move to the Emirates Stadium in the summer.