Arsenal have re-ignited their interest in Spain defender Ivan Fresneda ahead of the summer transfer window following Real Valladolid’s relegation from La Liga, according to the Sun.
The Gunners were first linked with a move for the 18-year-old in January but they couldn’t get a deal agreed due to Valladolid’s £35m asking price for the highly-rated youngster.
However, following their relegation, the newspaper claims Valladolid could now be forced to sell for just half of that original valuation, meaning Arsenal could sign Fresneda is a bargain £17.5m deal this summer.
The Sun says the Gunners could now step-up their interest in the defender and make a formal offer over the coming weeks.
Mikel Arteta is keen on bolstering his squad after falling short in the race for the Premier League title having been at the summit of the table for the vast majority of the campaign.
Cedric Soares’ move to Fulham in January on loan for the rest of the season meant the Spaniard had only one specialised right-back in Takehiro Tomiyasu but he was hampered by injuries, therefore, Arteta had to use centre-back Ben White at right-back for the majority of the last season.
Arteta would hope to avoid such a situation next season, hence he is determined to sign another right-back and Fresneda is once again being strongly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Emerging quality right-back
Arsenal’s priority this summer transfer target is to sign a midfielder and have been linked with a host of players including Declan Rice, Mason Mount, Martin Zubimendi, Moises Caicedo, and Ilkay Gundogan.
The Gunners are set to lose Granit Xhaka this summer to Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £13m. therefore they would need a replacement for the 30-year-old however bringing in a defender could also be on the cards.
Fresneda is attracting interest from several clubs such as Barcelona, Aston Villa, and Newcastle. According to the Sun, he has been highly recommended by Arsenal’s scouts after watching him throughout the season in La Liga.
He racked up 24 appearances for Real Valladolid across all competitions as they finished 18th in La Liga with 40 points, just one point behind 17th-placed Almeria.
Fresneda has huge potential to blossom to become one of the best right-backs in the world and Arsenal could be the perfect fit for him due to the club’s model of signing hungry and exciting talents.
Read more: Arsenal plotting swoop for £17m star in a bargain deal this summer – report
