Arsenal have agreed a deal with Brentford for Spanish goalkeeper David Raya, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Raya impressed last season, keeping 12 clean sheets in 38 Premier League matches. Also, he is an adept distributor of the ball from the back.
The 27-year-old joined the Bees from Blackburn Rovers in 2019 and has been the man between the sticks for the London club.
His performances in the English top-flight haven’t gone unnoticed, as the goalie received call-ups for the Spanish national team, donning the La Roja jersey twice.
With only 12 months remaining on his contract with Brentford, the keeper wanted to leave. It looked like Tottenham Hotspur would nick him, but they signed Guglielmo Vicario, allowing Arsenal to swoop in.
Negotiations culminated in an agreement hovering around the £30 million mark. The price is considerably less than the initial £40 million asking price from the Bees that forced Spurs to look away.
Raya was at Wembley Stadium during Arsenal’s Community Shield encounter with Manchester City last Sunday.
Raya’s arrival will fuel the competition for Arsenal’s number one spot ahead of the new season, with manager Mikel Arteta keen to see everyone fight for their spot.
Raya will set his sights on dethroning Aaron Ramsdale from his status as Arsenal’s number one.
The keeper’s duel for a starting spot at Arsenal will be an exciting battle to monitor.
Last season saw Ramsdale’s ascendancy, supplanting Bernd Leno, but with Raya’s entry into the fray, he may be the one usurped after some gaffes late last season.
Arsenal’s backup goalie Matt Turner is poised to join Nottingham Forest, and the Gunners had to sign a new shot-stopper, and they have found their man.
Bayern Munich considered Raya with Yann Sommer set to leave and join Inter Milan, but he had his eyes set on Arsenal. He will ink a five-year deal with the club, pending a medical assessment.
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