According to Spanish outlet Marca, Arsenal could miss out on signing Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda to Borussia Dortmund this month.
The London giants recently agreed a £13 million fee for the 18-year-old right-back but they still need to convince the player to join ahead of Dortmund.
Dortmund have also reached an agreement with Valladolid for Fresneda and Marca claim that the teenager appears likely to sign for the German outfit.
Fresneda wants the guarantee of a starting place in future and it is reported that there would be no assurance of the same if he were to join Arsenal this month.
While Arsenal are ‘still alive’ in the race, Dortmund clearly have the upper hand. They plan to send him back to Valladolid on loan for the rest of the season.
Blow
Fresneda recently became the youngest defender to make nine La Liga appearances and he could have a huge future ahead with big European clubs after him. Arsenal and Dortmund are currently the only clubs in contention to land his signature but it appears the latter are winning the race to sign the teenage full-back.
Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are the regular choices for manager Mikel Arteta at right-back and Fresneda is unlikely to jump ahead of them in the pecking order. Hence, it won’t be surprising if the Spaniard chooses to join Dortmund at the current stage of his career. Dortmund could offer him a starting role right away.
Missing out on Fresneda would be a blow for Arsenal but they should not be overly concerned as the right-back department is not an area of concern this season. They have other positions that need to be strengthened. A quality midfielder could be a priority for Arsenal before the transfer window slams shut next week.
Arsenal are not close to purchasing anyone after the recent transfer of defender Jakub Kiwior. However, they could be working behind the scenes. The deal for Kiwior came out of the blue but Arteta is known to have been in contact with the central defender since December.
