Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda in January, and the Spaniard’s prospective arrival at Molineux could see Julen Lopetegui finally get rid of Nelson Semedo.
According to AS, both Leeds United and Wolves have already ‘moved’ for the 18-year-old ahead of next month’s transfer window, with a frantic race expected for the signature of the highly-rated youngster.
After featuring in six games for Valladolid’s senior side, Fresneda’s release clause has risen to €30m (£26m), which means that he could be an expensive option for the Old Gold in January, but he certainly seems to have a lot of potential.
Spanish journalist Juan Arroita has certainly been impressed with what he has seen from Fresneda in his brief appearances, as he tweeted earlier this year: “Iván Fresneda has a beastly ability to take measured crosses from the right-handed lane. How good does the boy look? 17 years old…”
The teenage defender has just nine senior appearances to his name, but that has clearly been enough to convince clubs in the Premier League that he is worth the investment, as his six appearances in La Liga this season have seen him average a strong 6.74 rating from WhoScored.
According to FBRef, the youngster excels at tackling, interceptions and clearances, ranking above the 88th percentile for all three among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues. That suggests that he is solid in defence, which could make him an immediate upgrade on Semedo.
The former Barcelona man has proven himself to be a “liability at the back” (in the words of Tim Spiers) on a number of occasions during his time at Molineux, most notably in the 3-2 defeat against Brighton ahead of the World Cup break.
After losing Kaoru Mitoma for the Seagulls’ equaliser, the Portuguese full-back then hauled down the Japanese winger when he was through on goal, receiving a straight red card and costing the Old Gold any realistic chance of earning an important three points against a strong Brighton side.
Semedo has averaged a shocking 6.31 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Premier League so far this term, and Lopetegui will surely be looking for an upgrade in January as he looks to save Wolves’ season.
In Fresneda, the Old Gold’s new manager could find a significant long-term upgrade, so it will be interesting to see if the Molineux club can win the transfer race for the youngster next month.