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Arsenal target Fresneda expresses admiration towards Arteta

By Ritayan Chatterjee on April 26, 2023

Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda has expressed his admiration towards Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta amid the Gunners’ growing interest.

The north London club have been looking to sign the Valladolid starlet since last winter and it was even reported that Arsenal had agreed on a £13m deal with the Spanish club to get a deal done.

But, a move never materialised and in the end, the right-back stayed at the Estadio José Zorrilla. However, it has been suggested that despite failing to secure Fresneda’s service back in January, Arsenal haven’t given up on their hopes of purchasing the highly talented defender and are ready to rekindle their interest this summer.

However, it has been reported that securing the Valladolid starlet’s signature won’t be straightforward for the north London club as Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Newcastle United are also eyeing a swoop for the full-back.

During an interview with The Athletic, Fresneda has heaped praise on Arteta following the Gunners’ resurgence under the Spaniard’s guidance this season and the 18-year-old also says that he ‘likes Arteta a lot’.

Fresneda said:

“I like Arteta a lot because I think he’s a great coach; I follow the European leagues and I think the work he’s doing with his club is fantastic.”

Fresneda to Arsenal

So, given Fresneda is impressed by Arteta, the full-back could be open to playing under the Gunners’ boss’ management. In that case, Arsenal would be well-placed to persuade the defender to join the club and beat other teams in this race if they opt to reignite their interest this summer.

After Takehiro Tomiyasu’s injury-plagued campaign this term, it appears Arsenal have decided to strengthen their right-back position for next season.

They have been linked with numerous options ahead of the summer window with Joao Cancelo, Ridle Baku and Jeremie Frimpong being among them, but it seems Fresneda is the option that Arsenal are most interested in.

Fresneda is technically sound, comfortable playing out from the back and is very good in defensive contributions. He would be an ideal addition to play in Arteta’s possession-based style of football if the club’s hierarchy manage to broker this deal during the off-season.

However, Fresneda is still a raw talent and needs time to develop his career. So, the Emirates faithful should give the youngster time to flourish before imposing the pressure of expectations on his shoulder should he were to join the club at the end of this season.