At Saint James’ Park, the Valladolid defender has long been a target.
Ivan Fresneda, a defender for Real Valladolid, is still being watched by Newcastle United in preparation for a future transfer to the Premier League, according to rumors.
The Spanish player, who made 11 La Liga starts in his debut season, initially joined the Jose Zorrilla Stadium’s academy ranks on a free transfer back in 2020. Since then, he has fought his way up to the main team.
Sky Sports claimed in January that the 18-year-old was being pursued by the Magpies, who had even watched him play live on multiple occasions. However, they weren’t the only team interested; Juventus and Borussia Dortmund were also keeping tabs on the player.
According to the same source, Eddie Howe’s target was flattered by the interest from the north-east and would have been open to a move. Although a deal did not materialize before the deadline, it appears that the Magpies now want to try again in the summer.
Newcastle and Manchester United are reportedly “following” Fresneda, but Inter Milan is the newest team to be “testing the waters” for a prospective transfer, according to Italian outlet Inter News (via Sport Witness). With the strong affinities at the beginning of the year, it is stated that St James’ Park’s admiration is “nothing new,” but a price tag of €25 million (£21 million) has already been mentioned.
Presenter Juan Arroita has praised Fresneda for his “beastly ability,” and it appears that he has the potential to develop into a great player in the future. Nevertheless, he may not yet be at the necessary level to step up and join Newcastle.
The Madrid native is fairly strong defensively, averaging 2.4 tackles and 2.3 clearances per league game (according to WhoScored), but he hasn’t scored or provided an assist since the beginning of his career, so he lacks the offensive flair that Howe may be looking for given the contributions of current right-back Kieran Trippier, who has ten to his credit this season.
Fresneda has been receiving inconsistent playing time as he was benched four times by manager Juan José Rojo Martin in February and failed to play a single minute of league football throughout the entire month.
The young player might benefit from a loan to help him develop more before considering making a permanent transfer elsewhere, so the Magpies might be better off delaying their search for a more capable Trippier replacement for a few seasons.
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