Newcastle and Arsenal seem to have found themselves in a delicate and curious situation involving Sporting full-back Iván Fresneda.
The 21-year-old has appeared regularly in reports involving both clubs over the past few months. Newcastle United have been linked with him several times, while Arsenal have spent much of the season monitoring his development in Portugal.
Now A Bola have added a fresh detail that ties the two clubs together.
Right-back overlap
According to the Portuguese newspaper, Arsenal have gathered “excellent notes” on Fresneda throughout the season and have placed him on a ‘very thin’ shortlist of right-back targets for the summer.
But there is one player sitting ahead of him on that list: Newcastle’s own Tino Livramento.
So if Newcastle refuse to sell Livramento, Arsenal may have to move further down their shortlist and focus more seriously on Fresneda.
If Arsenal manage to sign Livramento, Newcastle would suddenly have both room in the squad and a sizeable transfer fee to work with, potentially clearing the way for a move of their own for the Sporting defender.
In other words, both clubs like Fresneda, but Arsenal’s chances of moving for him may depend heavily on what happens with a Newcastle player first.
Arsenal have already done plenty of homework
A Bola explain that Arsenal’s interest is not new. The Gunners followed Fresneda particularly closely this season and got an up-close look during Sporting’s Champions League quarter-final tie against them.
The Spaniard played the full match in Lisbon before an injury against Estrela da Amadora ruled him out of the return leg in London. Even so, Arsenal appear to have seen enough.
The report says those responsible for scouting the player came away with very positive impressions, adding to the strong reviews he had already received after several impressive Champions League performances earlier in the campaign.
Fresneda took advantage of Rui Borges’ tactical changes, established himself as Sporting’s first-choice right-back and forced his way into Spain’s Under-21 squad.
Sporting are comfortable either way
According to A Bola, the Portuguese side would like Fresneda to stay next season. However, they are not ruling out a sale if the right offer arrives.
The newspaper states that a proposal above €30m (£25.8m) could be enough to start serious discussions.
That figure is important because previous reports focused mostly on his €80m (£69m) release clause. While Sporting still hold that protection, the reality appears to be more flexible.
They signed Fresneda from Real Valladolid for €9m (£7.8m) in 2023, so a deal around the reported level would still represent a significant profit.
And there is also another possibility. If no suitable offer arrives, Sporting could look to reward the defender’s progress with a new contract. His current deal runs until 2028, meaning the club are not under any pressure to make a quick decision.
In the end, that leaves Fresneda sitting in the middle of a situation where Newcastle and Arsenal could end up influencing each other’s next move.