After missing out on two attacking signings to Chelsea, Arsenal have now turned their attention to a defender, according to recent reports.
A report in The Telegraph suggests that Arsenal have now turned their attention to signing right-back Ivan Fresneda.
Fresneda is just 18 years of age, but is regarded as one of the best young full backs in Europe. The teenager is a regular in La Liga this season and as well as Arsenal, the likes of Newcastle and Real Madrid have been strongly linked.
The report in The Telegraph says that Arsenal could wait until the summer to trigger this deal, but there could be concerns that his price will rise and other clubs could get involved and raise the price if they wait, like what happened with Mudryk.
Fresneda is a right-back with very good defensive and possession based qualities and could replace Cedric in the squad, if his move to Fulham goes through. Fresneda’s qualities make him a more natural alternative to Ben White compared to Cedric.
The Spaniard averages 2.36 tackles won per games, tackles 81.8% of dribblers and makes 1.53 interceptions per game. All 90th percentile and above when compared to other full backs. Another exciting stat is his progressive passes, averaging 3.33 per game, 84th percentile compared to his peers.
Ivan Fresneda has been linked again with Arsenal today, his agent is currently in London [could be unrelated].
He’s just 18 but not what you’d probably expect from a teenage full back from Spain [short thread🧵] pic.twitter.com/OPJwI4DGfN
— PB (@OliPriceBates) January 14, 2023
Fresneda’s wage will also be a lot lower than the £75,000 per week that Cedric currently earns, helping Arsenal to further reduce their wage bill ahead of some big signings and new contracts to key players.
It won’t be an easy deal to complete though, with financial powerhouses Real Madrid and Newcastle reportedly interested.
Arsenal will want to still make attacking reinforcements this month, but this could be a deal to watch.