Sources close to Spanish defender Ivan Fresneda have claimed that Liverpool have him on their transfer radar.
That’s according to The Athletic, who report that Real Valladolid would be open to selling the 18-year-old in January.
The La Liga club are claimed to be asking for around £13m to sell their academy product. And, according to this report, Liverpool are one of those circling Fresneda.
The Reds are said to be far from alone in that, though. In fact, the source ‘close to the player’ names six other sides from the Premier League who are ‘tracking Fresneda’s progress.’
That’s in addition to both Arsenal and Newcastle United, who have reportedly met with the right-back’s representatives.
Real Madrid are also claimed to be interested in signing Fresneda, who is said to be looking to move to an ‘elite’ level.
Greater needs lie elsewhere for Liverpool
With this many clubs involved, we wouldn’t be confident that Liverpool’s interest is especially firm.
Were it a player in a different position, the Reds could cut through that crowd, no problem. But at the moment they simply don’t need to add a right-back to the squad.
Some would argue differently. With Calvin Ramsay struggling to stay fit, Joe Gomez appears to still be Jurgen Klopp’s back-up to Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Now that Virgil van Dijk is injured, and Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip are injury-prone, Liverpool need Gomez at centre-back.
So, to a degree, you could see the sense in signing an exciting prospect for just £13m. Already a La Liga regular for Valladolid, coach Pacheta has called Fresneda ‘fantastic’ via Mundo Deportivo.
Whoever ends up getting the teenager will probably be getting themselves a bargain. But Liverpool already have young Conor Bradley waiting in the wings behind Ramsay. They have greater needs elsewhere.
