Arsenal are still monitoring Real Valladolid youngster Ivan Fresneda ahead of the summer transfer window as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad.
What’s the latest on Ivan Fresneda to Arsenal?
In his daily briefing on CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Arsenal are continuing to send scouts to monitor Fresneda despite missing out on him during the January transfer window.
The youngster has a release clause of €30m (£26m) which considering how highly rated he is, could prove to be a bargain for Arteta should he secure his signature in the summer.
Would Fresneda be an upgrade on Takehiro Tomiyasu?
Despite Arsenal sparkling for the majority of the Premier League campaign and leading the chase for what would be their first title since 2003/04, there are still some improvements to make regarding their starting XI.
The right-back slot is arguably the area under the most scrutiny, with Ben White – a natural centre-back – playing there for the majority of the season, with Takehiro Tomiyasu deputising when required.
The Japanese defender has been solid when called upon, making 1.3 tackles per game and winning 53% of his total duels while averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.66/10, however, his attacking input is poor, registering just one assist and creating only one big chance. Fortunately this is something Fresneda could offer in abundance.
Indeed, this season has seen the 18-year-old register more shot-creating actions (17 to ten), crosses (29 to nine), and touches in the attacking third (137 to 98) while succeeding with more take-ons (three to one) proving that he could offer Arteta a lot more going forward than Tomiyasu.
This doesn’t mean he shirks his defensive responsibilities, with the Spaniard displaying great maturity that has seen him already develop into one of the finest full-backs on the continent, as evidenced by FBref.
Fresneda ranks in the top 10% of positionally similar players across Europe’s big five leagues for tackles (3.39), interceptions (1.52), and clearances (3.16) per game, whereas Tomiyasu ranks outside the top 10% for all three metrics.
He has received substantial praise recently and none more so than from ESPN journalist David Cartlidge. He said: “Fresneda is a very special talent and any club will be lucky to sign him. He’s like a CM dropped in at full-back. Just over 6ft, athletic but above all excellent with the ball at his feet.”
Arteta is clearly looking to the future by scouting Fresneda, aiming to bring the average age of his squad down by signing young talent who have the potential to explode into life at Arsenal. The 18-year-old is certainly good enough to merit a spot in the starting XI, especially with his statistics this season and the 40-year-old will be hoping it’s second time lucky when the summer window opens.