In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano mentioned that Arsenal have launched an opening bid for Brentford custodian David Raya this summer. It has been stated that the Gunners have made a fixed offer of £20m plus £3m in add-ons to land the Spanish goalkeeper during this summer transfer period.
Raya’s Decent Run Of Form In The Premier League Last Season
The Barcelona-born keeper enjoyed a solid season at the Gtech Community Stadium as he put in a series of impressive displays in between the sticks for the Bees in the Premier League. Raya participated in 39 matches for Brentford in the previous campaign, shipping in 47 goals and picking up 12 clean sheets in the process on all fronts.
The 27-year-old was a consistent performer in goal and did well to average 0.5 clearances and 10.8 long balls per 90 minutes in the Premier League. However, he needs to figure out a way to improve his ball distribution after making 60.7% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Raya is under contract at the English club until the summer of 2024 which could open the door for the Gunners to sign him in this off-season.
What Will Raya Bring To Arsenal?
Raya can use his quick reflexes to make a few important saves at the back for his team. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when needed and is a solid handler of the ball as well. The Spanish talent can get a lot of distance with his clearances but needs to improve his passing accuracy if he wants to be a success story at a top club like Arsenal.
We can expect Raya to bring more quality to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta‘s match-day squad. At 27, he is playing in his prime at the moment and would no doubt help the Gunners compete across all competitions in the coming seasons.
Raya already knows the Premier League well by now and won’t take much time to settle into life at the North London club. Thus, it makes sense for Arteta to go all out to secure his services before the end of this transfer period.
