‘It is not easy...’ – Why Arsenal want Ivan Fresneda, the right-back who's played just 10 top-flight games
Updated 23/01/2023 at 13:55 GMT
There is an increasing number of reports that Real Valladolid full-back Ivan Fresneda could be on the move before the January window ends, with rumours suggesting a fee has been agreed between Valladolid, and Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. To find out more we got in touch with Eurosport Spain’s Felix Martin, who gives us the lowdown on the young right-back.
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It seems as if young Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda could be on the move before the end of the January transfer window.
On Monday morning the Athletic’s Guillermo Rai reported that both Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund agreed a £13.1 million fee with Valladolid for Fresneda and it seems the 18-year-old’s choice will come down to those two teams.
In order to get more information about Fresneda we got in touch with Felix Martin from Eurosport Spain to get his opinion on the player.
One of the first things to talk about is Fresneda’s relative inexperience. As mentioned above, he’s just 18 and only broke into the first-team this season. So what does Martin make of all this attention in such a young player?
“Ivan Fresneda is a La Liga debutant, so it's definitely a surprise,” Martin begins.
But the truth is that despite having played only 10 games in the first division, all the minutes he has played have been of quality, so it is normal that his name has been linked to great European clubs.
“Especially because of the type of signings that big clubs are making today: young players with growth and a good future.
“In addition, I think that on the international scene it is not easy to find right backs of this profile.”
So how would Martin describe Fresneda as a player? What sort of right-back would Arsenal or Dortmund get should they sign him?
“Ivan Fresneda is a right back with a very good offensive presence and with enough agility and speed to measure himself against the most elusive wingers.
“Among his strengths are, as I said, the physical side of the game.
“However his weaknesses are obvious to a player of his age, a lack of experience and tactical awareness in different game situations.
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MALLORCA, SPAIN - JANUARY 07: Ivan Fresneda of Real Valladolid CF looks on during the La Liga Santander match between RCD Mallorca and Real Valladolid CF at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix on January 07, 2023 in Mallorca, Spain . (Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Qual
Image credit: Eurosport
“But I imagine that, if he joins Arsenal for example, the tactical part would improve exponentially given the knowledge that a coach like Mikel Arteta has.”
It certainly sounds as if there is a lot of promise with Fresneda and fans of either team should certainly be excited about his potential as long as he is given the right platform and infrastructure around him to allow him to carry on growing as a player.
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