In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano stated that Arsenal are in advanced talks to land Brentford star David Raya this summer. It has been mentioned that the Gunners are eyeing a move to secure the services of the Spanish custodian before the end of this transfer window.
Now round of talks will take place today for David Raya deal between Arsenal and Brentford. Negotiations are advancing to key, final stages 🔴⚪️ #AFC
Matt Turner will join Nottingham Forest on permanent deal. pic.twitter.com/xKpGZWcHzK
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 6, 2023
Raya’s Impressive Campaign At Brentford
Raya had a solid campaign at the Gtech Community Stadium recently after he produced a handful of impressive performances in goal for Brentford. The Barcelona-born custodian played in 39 matches for the Bees last season, conceding 47 goals and earning 12 clean sheets in all competitions.
The 27-year-old was a reliable performer in between the sticks and deserves credit for averaging 0.5 clearances and 10.8 long balls per 90 minutes in the Premier League. However, he has to find a way to care of the ball a bit better when distributing possession from the back based on his pass completion rate of 60.7% in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
Raya is under contract at Brentford until the summer of 2024. Thus, the Gunners would be optimistic about their chances of signing the Spanish keeper on a cut-price deal soon.
Should Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta Bring Raya On Board?
Raya is a solid handler of the ball and doesn’t mind clearing his lines when needed. He has got good reflexes that help him make a few timely saves at the back.
The Spanish talent can also get a lot of distance with his goal-kicks but needs to find a way to improve his passing accuracy from the back. At the moment, he is playing at the top of his game which makes him a worthy target for Arsenal to pursue in this off-season.
Raya will enhance the quality of Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta’s match-day squad and help the Gunners challenge for a few major honours over the next few years. Therefore, it makes sense for the North London club to bring the Spaniard on board during this summer transfer window.
At 27, Raya has his peak years ahead of him and has what it takes to be a success story at the Emirates Stadium if Arteta can devise a way to snap up the Spanish custodian soon.
