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Arteta desperate to sign new right-back this summer, as Arsenal target Southampton man and sensational Spaniard
Arsenal look set to bring in a new right-back this summer, with Mikel Arteta keen to bolster that area and have set their sights on Real Valladolid’s Ivan Fresneda.
However, the Gunners already have a backup option in mind in case they fail to seal a deal, in Southampton full-back Tino Livramento, who has also been targeted by Manchester City.
Ben White has played admirably filling in at right-back this season, but with him being a natural centre-back, it makes sense for them to look for a more suited option.
This update comes from reputed journalist Ben Jacobs, who has suggested that Arteta is desperate to add a young, quality right-back to his squad for next season.
Speaking to CaughtOffside, he said: “Arsenal will look at a right-back this summer to add a bit of depth and plan for the long term.
“Arsenal’s priority remains Ivan Fresneda, who they tried to sign in January. Fresneda opted to stay at Real Valladolid until the end of the season despite offers from both the Gunners and Borussia Dortmund.
“Fresneda’s agent Luis Bardaji actually said up to 30 teams had made enquiries for the 18-year-old. Newcastle were also tracking him.
“In the end, Fresneda was reluctant to move, even with options from some suitors to be loaned back.”
Youth remains Arteta’s key focus for the summer
Indeed, Arteta has generally focused on bringing in young players who can be long-term investments for the Gunners.
This season, the Spaniard has brought in the likes of Brazilian winger Marquinhos (19), Fabio Vieira (22) and Jakub Kiwior (22), who look set to be key players for Arsenal for many years to come.
However, the downside to bringing in youngsters is that they are inexperienced, and will need time to acclimatise to the Premier League, which could be an issue for 18-year-old Fresneda.
On that, Jacobs adds: “Despite [Fresneda] being a fantastic prospect, he’s still developing and has still played less than 15 LaLiga games. It makes sense he didn’t want to rush into anything with summer giving him time to transition to a new club.”
According to reports, the Spaniard will be available for a fee of around £15m this summer.
Livramento also on Arteta’s radar
As mentioned, Arsenal have also registered an interest in 20-year-old Southampton right-back Livramento, who has showed real promise last season.
The benefit of signing Livramento, as apposed to Fresneda, would be that he has already played in the Premier League.
Also, with the Saints looking likely to be relegated to the Championship, there’s a good chance the former Chelsea defender would be available for a cut-price fee.
Jacobs said: “Tino Livramento is another intriguing option, who has had horrific luck with injuries.
“The 20-year-old was magnificent last season until he picked up a serious ACL injury against Brighton last April and recently suffered another set-back this January when returning with the Saints’ B team.
“Chelsea have a buy-back option active in 2023, but it’s not thought they’ll activate it, especially now Gusto has signed from Lyon. And all suitors will obviously have doubts given his long spell out on the sidelines.
“But Livramento will be monitored when fit with a view to a possible move over the next 2-3 windows by both Arsenal and Manchester City. And if he hadn’t suffered his injury he may already be at one of those two clubs already.”
Fresneda remains the Gunners’ first choice option, though, so it will be interesting to see if they table a suitable offer for the Spaniard this summer.
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The article Arteta desperate to sign new right-back this summer, as Arsenal target Southampton man and sensational Spaniard appeared first on Teamtalk.com.
