Tottenham’s Ivan Fresneda transfer ‘advantage’ over Newcastle United comes to light

The January transfer window has been open for nine days now and Tottenham Hotspur have yet to dip into the market and bring any new faces to the club.

After a summer which saw them spend big on the likes of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and Cristian Romero, it was always unlikely that the North London club would be investing more significant sums mid-season . However, their current form and the real possibility of missing out on a top four spot may encourage them to make moves before the market closes later this month.

One player they continue to be linked with is 18-year old Spanish full-back Ivan Fresneda. Although he may not be seen as a player that would immediately impact the first team squad, the defender is highly regarded across Europe and on the radar of several Premier League clubs with Newcastle United thought to be at the very front of the queue for his signature. However, there may be on slight advantage that Spurs have over the North East club in the race to sign the promising youngster in the January transfer window:

According to football statistics site Transfermarkt, Fresneda is represented by Portuguese agents Epic Sports who are also the agents for current Spurs’ star Emerson Royal. The Brazilian moved to North London from Barcelona in 2021 and has now established himself as a key part of Antonio Conte’s plans after a rocky start to his career in the Premier League.

A pre-existing relationship between the agents and Spurs may give them a potential advantage over Newcastle in the race to sign the promising young Spaniard, especially with Royal now enjoying his football at the club. However, although the agents will be involved heavily in the transfer process the final decision will still be made by the player.

Royal is probably the most high profile player represented by Epic Sports with other big names being Villarreal striker Nicola Jackson, Bayern Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun and Borussia Dortmund defender Soumaïla Coulibaly. No current Newcasle United players, or indeed any other Premier League players, are currently represented by the Portuguese firm.