Exclusive: Why Arsenal are confident of beating Dortmund to Fresneda transfer

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 24 Jan 2023 07:04 GMT
• 3 min read

Arsenal are confident they will wrap up the signing of Real Valladolid youngster Ivan Fresneda despite interest from a host of Europe’s top sides, CBS Reporter Ben Jacobs exclusively tells FootballTransfers.

Fresneda has been hotly pursued by a variety of clubs and his agent was in London talking to multiple teams including Arsenal, and the Gunners are relatively confident despite the interest.

While Newcastle United had also been among the sides to make an approach for Fresneda, the main rival to Arsenal is Borussia Dortmund and this is where Mikel Arteta will be key, as well as the Gunners’ relationship with Valladolid.

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The first choice is simply about which club Fresneda is more inclined to join, with Dortmund likely to offer more immediate chances of first team football while Arsenal may take time to integrate him.

Valladolid also have to be factored in as their preference is to keep Fresneda for the rest of the season, so they will likely prefer to sell to Arsenal, who will be open to loan the 18-year-old back to the La Liga side until the summer, while Dortmund are more keen to keep the player around.

Ultimately there are a lot moving parts and decisions are still yet to be made by both the player and the club, although personal terms are thought to be agreed for Fresneda with Dortmund and Arsenal.

But, with Valladolid looking to influence the situation to see if they can hold onto Fresneda until the end of the season, Arsenal could have the edge due to their willingness to let the youngster go back on loan.

Fresneda to make a decision on January transfer

The fee is going to be somewhere in the region of €15 million but both Arsenal and Dortmund are relatively in consensus over the player’s terms and what financials Valladolid would receive, which means this isn’t necessarily a race about finances or trying to get in the player’s head by offering more.

This is more about the player’s decision based upon the short-term plan and then whether it will be a move to happen now or in the summer, or this month and then a loan back to Valladolid.

ORNSTEIN: Arsenal agree terms with Fresneda

The deal should be completed in the coming days but it is down to Fresenda himself now that he has all of the pictures, he is happy with both offers and is just making up his mind.

It seems to be down to Arsenal and Dortmund and there is unlikely to be a hijack, although other clubs are in the mix but the player is choosing between those two options.