La Liga starlet Ivan Fresneda is once again being quizzed about a potential move to Premier League giants Arsenal with the right-back flattered to have caught the eye of Europe’s biggest clubs.
With his Real Valladolid side third-from-bottom in Spain’s top flight – and now just 90 minutes away from relegation – it’s no wonder Ivan Fresneda is reluctant to let the seemingly never-ending speculation become a distraction.
The Spain U19 international is likely to leave Valladolid this summer, even if the Ronaldo-owned outfit do pull off a ‘Great Escape’ on final day.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal are big fans of the Madrid-born 18-year-old. As are fellow runners-up Borussia Dortmund.
But his focus, for now, is on ensuring that Valladolid’s purple-and-white kit is still gracing La Liga turf in 2023/24.
“I tried to normalise (all the rumours) it as much as possible. It was carried outy by my agent. I did not want to be distracted in the middle of the league,” Fresneda tells Diario de Valladolid.
“It’s nice to (be linked with) big teams. But I also said that I was in a historic club and, here I am, happy. At no time have I said that the easiest thing is for me to leave. I feel very identified with the club.”
Will Arsenal land Ivan Fresneda this summer?
When pressed further on whether a summer move to Arsenal or Dortmund was on the cards, Fresneda was – again – typically coy.
“I am focused on the goal, which is staying up,” the teenager adds. “And I don’t think about anything else.”
An excellent athlete and an impressively well-rounded footballer despite his tender age; Fresneda has a £26 million release clause in his Real Valladolid contract.
“(Arsenal and Dortmund) are two great clubs, about which we have favourable opinions. They give youngsters opportunities,” explains agent Luis Bardaji, who Goal say made a visit to Arsenal’s training ground a few months ago.
“There have been around thirty teams who have been interested.”
Another of those 30 clubs, meanwhile, was Newcastle United. Head of recruitment Steve Nickson watched Fresneda in action against Real Madrid, with the Magpies entering talks a few weeks later (Northern Echo).
Crystal Palace and big-spending Bournemouth, meanwhile, failed with deadline day approaches of their own at the end of January (Matteo Moretto).
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