In a recent report, Tuttomercatoweb stated that Barcelona have entered the race to land Real Valladolid starlet Ivan Fresneda. It has been claimed that the Catalan club are trying to sign the Spanish youngster permanently next summer but will face competition from Juventus, Arsenal and Newcastle United for him.
Fresneda’s Impressive Run Of Form In Spanish Football This Season
The 18-year-old has caught the eye at times with his performances on the right side of Valladolid’s defence during this campaign. Fresneda has made 12 appearances for the Spanish club this season but is still waiting to open his goal-scoring account for them across all competitions.
The Madrid-born talent has been quite productive on the right flank and has done well to average 2.9 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 2.5 clearances and 1.0 key passes per game in La Liga. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from the right wing based on his pass success rate of 83% in the Spanish first division (stats via whoscored).
Fresneda is under contract at Real Valladolid until the summer of 2025. Thus, Barca will find it difficult to get him on board for a cut-price fee at the end of this campaign.
Barcelona Enter The Race To Sign Fresneda: Is He A Prospect For The Future?
Fresneda is a good tackler of the ball and can sense the danger well to make a few timely interceptions for his side on the defensive third of the pitch. He doesn’t take too many risks when clearing the danger at the back and can create some inviting chances for his teammates in the opponent’s half. The Spanish whizkid is a tidy passer of the ball as well and would be a good fit for Xavi‘s brand of football at the Nou Camp. However, he is still quite inexperienced at the highest level.
Still, Barcelona would be wise to try everything in their power to secure the services of the Real Valladolid prospect in the summer. Fresneda is already good enough to fight for a regular starting spot at the Catalan club. He has the potential to become a future star at the Nou Camp as long as he continues to improve his all-around game with each season.
With all things considered, Fresneda is undoubtedly a prospect to watch out for in the future. Hence, Xavi should focus on going all out to bring him to Barcelona when the transfer window commences later this year.
