Arsenal ultimately decided against moving for Iván Fresneda in the summer, despite the Sporting defender making their shortlist.
A few months later, the conditions aren’t exactly becoming more inviting for the Gunners.
The 21-year-old has established himself at Sporting and is now pushing towards the senior Spain squad. Meanwhile, the Portuguese club have started talks over a new contract.
A Bola brings the latest on Wednesday and explains just how quickly Fresneda’s stock is rising.
Sporting already working on new deal
Arsenal’s interest in Fresneda wasn’t exactly a secret during the summer. There were several reports all over England and Europe placing the right-back on their list of options. Ultimately, Fresneda stayed in Lisbon.
Sporting will be quite happy about that now. Talks have started over extending his contract by another three years, taking it from 2028 to 2031, as per A Bola. That would naturally come with an improved salary.
Fresneda’s current deal also contains an €80m (£69m) release clause. Sporting may hope to increase that figure, but it’s not always the case. Even without a higher clause, though, another five years of contractual control would strengthen their position considerably.
That’s worth keeping in mind should Arsenal come knocking again. Sporting only paid Valladolid €9m (£7.8m) for Fresneda in 2023. After a difficult start in Portugal, he has since made the position his own.
He played 39 times last season and has featured in all seven of Sporting’s matches this term. A Bola says he is now considered one of the club’s key players.
| Every Arsenal signing 26/27 | Nationality | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Guimarães | Brazil | Newcastle United | £75m |
| Ezri Konsa | England | Aston Villa | £51m |
| Christos Tzolis | Grecce | Club Brugge | £34m |
| Illan Meslier | France | Leeds United | Free |
| Piero Hincapié | Colombia | Bayer Leverkusen | £34.5m |
Spain attention won’t make things easier for Arsenal
Over in Spain, manager Luis de la Fuente is following him closely and has the Sporting player among his options at right-back. Marcos Llorente recently retired from international football, while former Tottenham man Pedro Porro is currently injured.
Fresneda is already a regular for Spain’s U21s and has represented his country throughout the youth levels. A senior call-up could now arrive soon.
That would hardly help Arsenal if their interest remains, but surely makes the case for eventually signing him even stronger.
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🇪🇸 …all is not well in Madrid https://t.co/MxOw6MmhJ7 #afc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) September 15, 2026
