Four Italian giants join Sevilla in tracking wonderkid right-back from Real Valladolid | OneFootball

It rarely takes long for a talented youngster to attract the attention of the big sharks in football these days, and in Ivan Fresneda’s case, it has taken just nine senior appearances.

Recently turned 18, Fresneda has been in impressive form for Real Valladolid this season since coming into the side. Only making his debut last season, Fresneda was thrown into the action on matchday five against Girona by Pacheta.

Since, he has missed three games through a hamstring problem and sat one out on the bench, but been a starter in every other game. Accurate on the ball, energetic and most importantly, solid in defence, Fresneda has been raising eyebrows with his performances.

Albeit based on limited data, Fresneda has ranked in the top 7% of full-backs for tackles, dribblers tackled and clearances. He also averages 1.54 interceptions per game, and makes the top 10% for key passes.

According to Fichajes.net, Sevilla are considering him as an option to replace the ageing Jesus Navas at right-back. Yet they will face fierce competition from Serie A, where Juventus, Roma, Inter and Milan are all tracking him.

At just 18, and with so few appearances under his belt, it is probably too soon to judge how good Fresneda will turn out. However for a first season in a team that is often forced to defend for large parts of the game, Fresneda’s performance has been encouraging.

Valladolid had a clause in his contract that stated his buyout clause would increase from €10m to €30m if he plays 22 times for the first team. It shows that La Pucela clearly value him highly, although it may precipitate a move for Fresneda sooner rather than later too.

Image via Bagu Blanco