Ivan Fresneda is on a three-man shortlist as Manchester City step up their search for a new right-back, according to reports.
TBR claim Man City are ‘keeping close tabs’ on Fresneda’s situation at Sporting CP, having identified him as a target ready for the 2026 transfer windows. Man City supposedly see Fresneda as an alternative to Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento, whom they have ‘long-standing interest’ in.
City made contact for Livramento over the summer but were warned Newcastle did not want to sell under any circumstances.
City’s hunt for a new right-back
Have looked for Kyle Walker’s successor ever since he initially left on loan in January
Matheus Nunes sees himself as a midfielder but has filled in at right-back alongside Rico Lewis
Pep Guardiola wants a more natural full-back to join and compete with those players
Following that Livramento setback, TBR report that City have ‘devised a plan’ to win the race for Fresneda instead. They believe director of football Hugo Viana will be able to use his strong connections at Sporting to bring Fresneda to the Etihad.
Viana was sporting director at the Portuguese club between 2018 and 2025. He helped Sporting beat Premier League clubs to Fresneda’s capture in August 2023 and could once again secure the Spaniard’s services – this time for City.
Fresneda is very highly rated at Sporting and has a £70million (€80m / $91m) release clause in his contract. City chiefs hope Viana will be able to snare him for a lower price.
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Read joins Fresneda on City watch list
The 21-year-old is not the only new right-back on City’s radar, as Dutch outlet De Telegraaf report that Feyenoord’s Givairo Read has also emerged as a target.
Read is only 19 years of age but has caught the eye as he is already putting in solid performances in both the Eredivisie and Europa League.
City, Arsenal and Bayern Munich are all said to be tracking Read’s development ahead of potential transfer talks in the future.
TBR are generally described by online fans as being mid tier for transfer news reliability. As such, City may be monitoring Fresneda, but it is unclear at this stage if they are actually planning a move for him.
De Telegraaf’s information is highly likely to be true as they are one of the most reliable sources for Dutch transfer news.
Superior Guardiola target named
Out of these three options, Livramento would be the standout signing for City. He has the most experience, and, crucially, has played plenty of matches in the Premier League.
Therefore, Livramento would need far less time to adapt to City than Fresneda or Read.
But the England star could reportedly cost £80m (€91m / $104.5m) or more, forcing City to consider other options.
If Livramento proves unattainable, then Fresneda should be City’s next target. While Read has only recently got into Feyenoord’s first team, Fresneda has been playing senior football since the age of 18.
Fresneda took the next step in his career by leaving his native Spain for Sporting two years ago. Admittedly, the two countries share similarities, but it shows Fresneda is open to taking risks and adapting swiftly so he can reach the elite level.
Read, meanwhile, is a top prospect for the future, though 2026 may be too early for him to join a club as successful as City.