Newcastle United is reportedly leading the race to sign Spanish youngster Ivan Fresneda, with Arsenal also believed to be interested in signing the Real Valladolid wonderkid.
According to Marca, Eddie Howe’s side is now best positioned to sign the teenage fullback in January, with many of Europe’s top sides, including Premier League leaders Arsenal, monitoring the right-back following the opening of the January transfer window.
Reports have indicated that Real Valladolid is willing to sell their star prospect this month, with Fresneda believed to have a release clause of €30m (£25m), though Newcastle is not willing to match this fee, with the Magpies looking at a deal worth £10m according to the Daily Mail.
That’s not to say a deal won’t happen this month, though. Newcastle had scouts in attendance to watch Fresneda last Friday against Real Madrid, with the right-back playing the entire match in what was the teenager’s fifth league start of the season.
Indeed, Fresneda is making a clear reputation for himself with Valladolid this campaign. And with Newcastle now leading the race to sign the defender, it now seems like a matter of time before the right-back is heading to Tyneside to play for Howe and company.
As for Arsenal, missing out on Fresneda might seem like a blow on paper. However, given how strong the Gunners’ right-back options are in both the senior squad and the academy, Mikel Arteta could be somewhat relieved that the north London side might soon miss out on the La Liga talent.
NEWCASTLE BEATING ARSENAL TO FRESNEDA SIGNING WOULD BE MOMENTOUS
Newcastle has already one-upped Arsenal in the transfer market in the form of Bruno Guimaraes, and the Magpies landing Fresneda would once again be momentous for the northeast Premier League side, with the Toon slowly establishing themselves as a force in the transfer market.
With Newcastle also landing long-term Arsenal target Alexander Isak this summer, Fresneda will potentially become the third player to head to St. James Park despite links to north London. And for the Gunners, a worrying trend is starting to emerge in the window.
In other news, ‘He can play anywhere: U-21 boss compared £35m starlet Arsenal want to sign to Kevin De Bruyne
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