Arsenal have managed to strike a deal for the services of the 27-year-old Brentford shot-stopper David Raya.
According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are keen on having David Raya in their ranks for the 2023-24 season and have managed to agree a deal with Brentford for his transfer. While they already have Aaron Ramsdale in their ranks, Mikel Arteta still wants to have Raya at his disposal.
The Gunners have already spent over £200 million in the ongoing transfer window. They have acquired the services of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber. Post that, Arsenal were not expected to make any major moves in the ongoing window unless there was a departure.
But, of late they started pushing for the services of the 27-year-old Brentford goalkeeper. The Gunners already have an agreement on personal terms with the Spanish international. And, according to the report, they have managed to strike a deal with the Bees.
The Gunners are all set to pay between £25-30 million for the services of Raya. While Brentford wanted to keep him at the club, his contract runs out next summer and they can’t risk losing out on him for free.
With the player eager to join Arteta’s Arsenal, the Bees have decided to let him leave. Brentford acquired the 27-year-old from Blackburn for €3 million in 2019. The Spanish international has since gone from strength to strength and has been among the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.
And, with his contract running out, there was a lot of interest in his services. Arsenal started making moves in the past few weeks and they have managed to strike a deal. But, it hasn’t been officially finalised because Arsenal await the departure of backup goalkeeper Matt Turner who is all set to join Nottingham Forest.
Once Turner’s move to Nottingham is confirmed, the Gunners will make the Raya deal official. The 27-year-old’s arrival will mean that Arsenal will have two top-class goalkeepers in their ranks for the 2023-24 season.
While Ramsdale and Raya were expected to fight for a spot in the starting XI, recent reports suggest Raya will be the number one. Arteta is a fan of the 27-year-old who is exceptional with the ball at his feet. And, it is one of the major reasons why the Gunners have been pushing to sign him.