Borussia Dortmund are now the favourites to sign Ivan Fresneda this summer, despite Arsenal remaining in the race for the signing.
German outlet Bild report that Arsenal remain on Ivan Fresneda’s case this summer, but Borussia Dortmund are currently leading the race for the signing.
Both clubs recently received a boost in their pursuit of the teenager, with Real Valladolid’s relegation to the Spanish second tier reportedly cutting his release clause in half.
Fresneda’s clause was previously set at €40m, but it’s now dropped to €20m (£17.1m), significantly weakening Valladolid’s negotiating stance.
But the player will still have a say in where he ends up, and Dortmund may have the advantage on that front, given the established players in Fresneda’s position at Arsenal.
Bild previously wrote that Fresneda is one of Dortmund’s key transfer targets for the summer window, though they’re worried about the competition for the transfer.
Fresneda also reportedly has a “lucrative offer” from Arsenal, and The Telegraph reported in April that Arsenal had put in “considerable legwork” assessing Fresneda in the January transfer window, with a view to potentially signing him in the summer.
The Gunners could now follow up on their interest, as they look to strengthen their defensive options for the new campaign of Champions League football.
Fresneda recently spoke about Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta in an interview with The Athletic, admitting he likes the manager.
“I like Arteta a lot because I think he’s a great coach; I follow the European leagues and I think the work he’s doing with his club is fantastic,” Fresneda said.
In a previous interview with Marca, Fresneda insisted his primary goals were succeeding with Real Valladolid and playing for Spain, but he didn’t know what the summer holds.
“I want to succeed at Valladolid achieving their goals, and my biggest dream in the long term is playing with the national team,” Fresneda said. “I don’t know what will happen with my future in the summer.”
Reports from earlier this year suggested that Arsenal will be joined by Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United, and Juventus in the race for Fresneda this summer.
Now that the season is over, the defender will sit down with his representatives to make a decision on a potential move.