Arsenal could launch a second bid for Spanish prospect Ivan Fresneda if Manchester City block them from signing Joao Cancelo.
Cancelo, 28, fell out with City manager Pep Guardiola during the January transfer window and was sent on loan to Bayern Munich. But after an underwhelming few months in Bavaria, the German giants aren't likely to make his stay permanent by triggering their option to buy for €70million (£61m).
That's alerted Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who worked with Cancelo for four months while being part of Guardiola's backroom staff in 2019. But after selling Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal last summer and ending up in a Premier League title fight with them, City could block Cancelo's reunion with Arteta, and leave the Gunners needing to search elsewhere for a new full-back.
Fortunately, Arsenal already identified Real Valladolid's Fresneda as a target in the winter and have kept an eye on his progress since, the Telegraph reports. The 18-year-old spent time in Real Madrid's academy as a youngster but has made his name playing for Valladolid, starting 16 LaLiga games this season.
The Gunners even made a £13m offer in January, but the teenage hotshot chose to turn them down and continue his development in his homeland. "There have been around 30 teams interested," agent Luis Bardaji told AS. "But the truth is that he has hardly aroused interest in Spanish football, but in Germany, France or England there has been interest.
"Some because they had a specific need in this market and others with a vision of the future, but times are what they are. Fresneda will be at Real Valladolid until the end of the season. We want him to have his feet on the ground and in other teams he was not going to have the continuity he needs now."
It seems that Fresneda could be tempted by Arsenal at some point, though, as he's already heaped praise on Arteta's coaching. "I like Arteta a lot because I think he's a great coach," he told The Athletic. "I follow the European leagues and I think the work he's doing with his club is fantastic."
Like Cancelo, Fresneda is right-footed but can also play at left-back. Although far less proven, signing him could be a wiser bit of business from Arsenal, especially considering that Cancelo would likely cost much more, is 10 years older and going through a rough patch.
Have your say! Who should Arsenal sign - Joao Cancelo or Ivan Fresneda? Join the debate in the comments section.
Bayern's sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, has stated that it's "too soon" to make a decision on the Portugal international but admits he's been disappointed with Cancelo's displays. "Joao hasn't been training and playing the way we envisaged lately," Salihamidzic declared in March, just before sacking boss Julian Nagelsmann.
Since Thomas Tuchel was appointed Bayern manager, Cancelo has started all but two matches and helped the Bundesliga champions reclaim top spot from rivals Borussia Dortmund. Yet it doesn't appear that Tuchel is pushing his superiors to sign him permanently.
It seems that only City stand in Arsenal's way.
