Iván Fresneda has gone from promising arrival to one of Sporting CP's more established figures, and the club are now preparing to extend his contract until 2031. Roma made an offer last summer, while Barcelona and Arsenal have also been linked, which has only increased the sense that Sporting want to get ahead of the market.

Fresneda's place in the squad

The shift is visible in the numbers. Fresneda finished the 2025-26 season with 39 games, one goal and one assist, a strong return for a right-back. He has also appeared in all ten games already played by Sporting this season, which tells you how central he has become under Rui Borges.

His status is not just about minutes. A Bola said he already naturally forms part of the captains' structure, and Sporting's own pecking order places him fourth, behind Gonçalo Inácio, Eduardo Quaresma and Maxi Araújo. That is a notable climb for a player who was still being discussed mainly as a prospect not so long ago.

Sporting's contract plan

A Bola reported that Sporting's post-market plan is to extend the deal until 2031, with a salary adjustment included. Fresneda is currently tied to the club until 2028 and has an €80 million release clause, so Sporting are not dealing from a weak position, but they clearly want to remove any doubt around his future.

Roma's interest is part of the reason the issue has moved quickly. Roma are third in Serie A with 17 points from seven matches and are unbeaten in their last five league games, while Barcelona sit top of La Liga with 27 points from nine matches and have won five league games in a row. If those clubs are circling, Sporting's decision to lock down a starter who has become part of the leadership group is a logical one.

The point is not that Fresneda is already on his way out. It is that Sporting now see him as more than a high-upside signing from 2023, when they paid €9 million to bring him in from Valladolid, and they are acting like a club that expects him to stay.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →