ARSENAL have completed the signing of Brentford keeper David Raya on a £3million loan deal with the option of a £27m permanent signing.
The 27-year-old Spanish international will now go head-to-head with Aaron Ramsdale to become Mikel Arteta’s first choice.
GETTYArsenal have completed the loan signing of David Raya from Brentford[/caption]
REUTERSThe Gunners have the option to buy the Spain international permanently next season[/caption]
INSTAGRAM@JMUNELLRaya finalised his move to the Emirates at Arsenal’s training ground today[/caption]
Raya arrives at the Emirates highly recommended by goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana, who worked with the player at Brentford before joining Arteta’s backroom staff.
And it is his ability to play out from the back with the ball at his feet which could give him the edge over England international Ramsdale.
With Arsenal about to return to the Champions League after a six-year absence, Arteta wants a keeper who is comfortable leaving his penalty area to cover the space behind his back four and can pass the ball accurately to beat the high press.
After handing Ramsdale a lucrative new five-year contract in May, Arsenal were not planning on signing another goalkeeper this summer.
But they changed their plans when Raya became available and believed it was too good an opportunity to turn down.
Brentford had initially demanded £40m for a player who only cost them £2m when they bought him from Blackburn in 2019.
That was enough to deter interest from Spurs and Manchester United for a player with just 12 months remaining on his contract.
But Raya made it clear to Brentford boss Thomas Frank that he wanted to move to Arsenal to resume work with Cana and would not sign for anyone else.
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So now the clubs have reached a compromise agreement, with Raya signing a new Brentford contract while still having the chance to sign permanently for Arsenal next summer if everything goes according to plan at the Emirates.
Raya will go straight into the matchday squad for the Gunners’ trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.
The Gunners kicked off their Premier League campaign last Saturday with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.