ARSENAL are set to battle Newcastle and two other European rivals in the race to sign Ivan Fresneda, reports say.
The right-back has emerged as one of the top talents in LaLiga this season, with 12 appearances for Real Valladolid.
According to the Evening Standard, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus have joined Premier League pair Arsenal and Newcastle in the transfer race.
It is claimed the Gunners have been scouting Fresneda for some time and will continue to monitor him for the remainder of the season.
The 18-year-old was the subject to heavy interest in January from clubs around Europe but eventually he decided to stay at Valladolid.
Fresneda is now expected to sit down with his representatives at the end of the campaign and assess his options.
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He has a release clause of £26.5million in his contract and Valladolid hope to spark a bidding war to get close to that amount.
Arsenal are looking to recruit young talent, with Fresneda fitting the mould.
That is despite signing Leandro Trossard, 28, and Jorginho, 31, in the winter window to boost their squad depth.
Mikel Arteta has Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu as his right-back options currently.
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But Fresneda is touted as one of the most promising players in Europe, having also played for Spain at youth level.
Manchester United have also been linked with the teen defender in the past.
But Erik ten Hag looks to have settled with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 25, and Diogo Dalot, 23, in that position.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
