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Arsenal have rekindled their interest in Sporting CP defender Ivan Fresneda, who is currently “experiencing the best moment of his career.”
The 22-year-old emerged as one of Spanish football’s most exciting full-back prospects during his time at Real Valladolid. Fresneda made 22 LaLiga appearances for the club as a teenager in 2022/23 and played himself onto the radar of Europe’s biggest hitters.
Numerous English suitors, including Arsenal, took a liking to the right-back. However, instead of immediately taking the huge step to the Premier League, Fresneda made a smart career choice.
The youngster agreed a €9 million transfer to Sporting CP to continue his development in Lisbon. In doing so, Fresneda joined one of Europe’s premier talent developers with the clear idea that he would emerge from his stint in Portugal as a better, more well-rounded player.
That’s exactly how things have panned out, although it perhaps took longer than anticipated. Fresneda was derailed by injury in his first season and needed more than a year to fully establish himself as a starter upon his return.
Fresneda breaks out
Last season was the 22-year-old’s breakthrough campaign in Portugal. Fresneda played just shy of 3,000 minutes, and he likely would have cracked that mark had he not suffered an injury in April that prematurely ended his season.
After recovering and slowly being brought back into the fold this term, Fresneda has now nailed down his starting spot at right-back again. He went the full 90 minutes in Sporting’s last five league fixtures, notching an assist in the most recent game against Arouca.
His consistently impressive form earned him his first call-up to the Spanish senior team last month, with Fresneda replacing injured Tottenham star Pedro Porro. He was on the bench for Spain’s 4-1 demolition of Croatia but didn’t make his debut.
He could make his La Roja bow against Czechia on Saturday or in the second clash with Croatia next Tuesday. Even if he doesn’t get on the pitch in this international break, the fact that he has been called up to the senior team has boosted his reputation.
As Correio de Manha points out, Fresneda is now back on the radar of Europe’s biggest clubs. Arsenal and Barcelona have both rekindled their interest in the full-back, who is currently “experiencing the best moment of his career.”
Despite being just 22, Fresneda has become one of the “heavyweights” in Sporting’s squad and is now even among the club’s leadership group. He could even captain the side at some stage.
With interest in the Spaniard rising, Sporting president Frederico Varandas has “accelerated” contract talks with the player’s entourage in order to tie him down to fresh terms that better reflect his importance to the Portuguese giants.
His current deal contains an €80m release clause and is valid until 2028, which means that a renewal is becoming an increasingly urgent priority. If no deal is struck, Fresneda may have to be sold in 2027 to avoid losing him for nothing the following year.
It remains to be seen if he is willing to commit his long-term future to the club or if he believes that the moment to take the next step in his career has come. What is already clear, though, is that Arsenal are closely following developments in Lisbon.
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