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Newcastle United have held further talks to sign Arsenal target and Real Valladolid full-back Ivan Fresneda, as per the Daily Mail.
The 18-year-old has emerged from the youth ranks of Pucelanos to become a regular starter. He has featured in 11 games across competitions this season, including his team's 2-0 loss against Real Madrid on 30 December where Newcastle scout Steve Nixon was in attendance.
He is said to have an £8.8 million release clause in his contract, which shouldn't be a problem for teams like Newcastle and Arsenal to meet. However, it remains to be seen if they are okay with investing such an amount in a teenager with just nine senior starts to his name.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Cedric Soares are currently the two natural right-backs at manager Mikel Arteta's disposal. Ben White has also played several times in that position, but he has made his name playing in the center of the backline.
Tomiyasu also offers the rigidity one finds with a defender who can play both as a centre-back and a full-back. Fresneda, in that regard, can bring some dynamism down their flanks, especially in the long run.
Moreover, Soares' reported links to Fulham could force Arsenal to scour the market for a potential replacement. The Magpies, meanwhile, have Emil Krafth, Javier Manquillo, and Kieran Trippier as options down the right-hand side of their defense.
The trio have 18 months left on their respective contracts, however. Regardless of the depth the two Premier League clubs may possess in the position, Fresneda can prove to be a sound financial investment if not anything else.
There is every chance that he will rake in more in transfer fees than his current release clause if he continues to push his ceiling.
Valladolid boss has already admitted that Arsenal and Newcastle target Ivan Fresneda could leave
Valladolid manager Jose Rojo Martin admitted last week that it will be hard for his team to hold onto Fresneda for long. In comments that would come as music to the ears of Arsenal and Newcastle, Martin said, via the aforementioned source:
"I think Fresneda has few games left with the Real Valladolid shirt. He is 18 years old, but he does things that people of 30 do.
"If I was at another club, I would go for him without hesitation, his data is brutal and you are not buying the current player, you are buying what he can become in a few years."
The Spanish right-back currently has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract at the Jose Zorrilla Stadium.
