Ivan Fresneda NXGN GFX

Ivan Fresneda: Spanish wonderkid being chased by Europe's elite after shutting down Vinicius

Vinicius Junior, fresh off World Cup disappointment with Brazil, was back in La Liga action and primed to rebound against relegation-threatened Real Valladolid. Instead, the Real Madrid winger barely got a kick, played out of the game by a relentless right-back.

Ivan Fresneda turned in a magnificent performance against one of the world's best on December 31, 2022, rendering Vini anonymous over a memorable 90 minutes.

Though he was far from unknown at the time, that showing displayed exactly what the 18-year-old right-back is capable of, and the kind of player he could someday become.

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Aggressive in defence yet composed on the ball, Fresenda has the basic traits of a top-level full-back, and is both young and talented enough for some of Europe's biggest teams to be watching closely as the end of the January transfer window approaches.

But who is Fresenda, and why is he so highly-rated? NXGN takes a closer look at one of Spain's most promising youngsters...