Five appearances at the 2026 World Cup under Mauricio Pochettino transformed Alex Freeman from promising Spanish football convert into one of Europe’s most coveted young defenders.
The 22-year-old United States international has since become the subject of serious attention from some of England’s biggest clubs, with the race for his signature already taking shape.
Manchester City and Manchester United are both tracking Freeman closely, according to reports from Football Insider and CaughtOffside, with scouts from the latter already dispatched to assess him.
Freeman only arrived at Villarreal in January 2026 but has moved quickly through the gears, establishing himself as the club’s first-choice right-back in both La Liga and the Champions League.
His profile is that of the modern full-back: quick, physically imposing, and comfortable progressing play from deep positions, while also capable of operating across multiple defensive roles.
The primary obstacle facing any interested club is a contract that runs until 2032, leaving Villarreal firmly in control of any potential negotiations and under no pressure to sell.
That security has not discouraged suitors, with Chelsea now also reported to be monitoring the situation alongside the two Manchester clubs, giving Freeman an even broader set of admirers.
City’s interest carries a particular urgency given that Matheus Nunes, naturally a midfielder, has been deployed at right-back, with Rico Lewis and Abdukodir Khusanov offering only partial solutions to the problem.
United’s motivation is equally clear as the club continues a wide-ranging defensive rebuild, having already been linked with multiple full-backs and centre-backs in preparation for the 2027 transfer window.
Tottenham have joined the conversation too, with head coach Roberto De Zerbi understood to be weighing alternatives at right-back amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding Pedro Porro’s future at the club.
Freeman’s value is almost certain to climb if he sustains his current level of performance in European competition through the remainder of the season.
For the moment, the clubs involved appear to be watching and waiting rather than pushing toward formal offers, but the queue forming around the American is growing longer by the week.