HERE WE GO: jubilation at London Colney as £40m superstar is now in London to sign 5yr deal with Arsenal today – Arsenal 5th signing confirmed
Arsenal have agreed a deal with Brentford for David Raya – and it’s an extremely unusual move.
The Gunners have confirmed that their No.2 keeper, United States international Matt Turner, has left for Nottingham Forest, paving the way for Raya to join. The Spaniard has worked previously with Arsenal’s goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana, with Cana said to be influential in this move.
Arsenal have previously been interested in Raya a number of times but given that they now have Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks, the need for another goalkeeper is minimal. Nevertheless, the Gunners appear to have struck the perfect deal.
David Ornstein of the Athletic has revealed that Raya is set to move across London on loan for an initial £3 million fee, with Arsenal retaining the option to sign the Brentford custodian for £27m come the end of the season, should they wish.
Raya was out of contract at the Gtech Community Stadium at the end of the season but has signed an extension to make the move happen. This means that Arsenal now have a year to rotate between Raya and Ramsdale before deciding who to keep – presumably, with Ramsdale able to command a big fee if he is sold.
With Cana said to be Raya’s “mentor” and Ramsdale being a valued member of Mikel Arteta’s leadership group, Arsenal now have the best of both worlds, with Arteta being able to switch between two stylistically similar keepers between competitions.
