JUST IN: Newcastle have reportedly beaten Arsenal to ‘one of the biggest prospects in European football’
Newcastle United have reportedly beaten the likes of Arsenal to the signing of Ivan Fresneda.
In December, Spanish outlet AS claimed the Magpies and the Gunners were eyeing the Real Valladolid ace.
The Daily Mail then claimed that Newcastle and Arsenal were both showing real interest in Fresneda.
Valladolid were expected to sell for around £10million, suggested the report.
And earlier this week, The Athletic claimed Newcastle had scouted Fresneda in action against Real Madrid last Friday.
Now, it looks as though the Magpies have beaten Arsenal to the signing of the 18-year-old full-back.
On Wednesday, Spanish football expert Fernando Kallas spoke to Sky Sports News (04/01, 12:23) about Fresneda.
I heard that the coach and his team-mates are already saying goodbye to him because it’s fairly a done deal that he’s going to Newcastle,” said Kallas.
“I heard that he had conversations with Real Madrid and even Barcelona.
“He’s a very young player, he’s been in the Spanish national team under-18s and under-17s too.
“He’s going to be a good player and he’s another example of how the Premier League are just dominating the market, going after players in the big five leagues.”
‘A complete full-back’
Fresneda is ‘one of the biggest prospects in European football’ (AS), having burst onto the scene in recent months.
The teenager made his Valladolid debut last season and has clocked up 10 appearances overall for his club.
This term, Fresneda has featured seven times in La Liga for the newly-promoted outfit.
Football Talent Scout recently published a scouting report about the youngster.
Jacek Kulig described him as a ‘complete full-back’ with ‘very good pace at all distances’ and who’s ‘able to deliver pinpoint crosses even at top speed’.
In addition, Fresneda ‘impacts the game at both ends of the pitch’, is an ‘accurate and tenacious tackler’, and has ‘inexhaustible energy and stamina’.
He boasts an impressive potential rating of 9/10, suggesting he could ‘become a key player in a top European club’.
