Arsenal are pushing for the signatures of 27-year-old Brentford goalkeeper David Raya as Mikel Arteta plans to replace Aaron Ramsdale.
According to a report by Football Transfers, Arsenal are keen on having David Raya in their ranks. The Gunners are looking to further bolster their goalkeeping position by signing the Brentford shot-stopper.
The London-based club have been interested in the 27-year-old for a while now. While reports earlier suggested that they were looking to sign Raya in order to increase competition for the number-one spot, the reality is that Arteta wants Raya to replace Ramsdale.
The 25-year-old goalkeeper joined Arsenal back in 2021 for a fee of £28 million. He has done wonders since joining the Gunners and has been an important part of Arteta’s team. Ramsdale was sensational last season as he featured in all 38 Premier League matches and ended up keeping 14 clean sheets.
Despite his heroics in the 2022/23 season, Arsenal are ready to dump the England international for Raya. The Brentford shot-stopper was all involved in all 38 league matches and kept 12 clean sheets.
His contract with the Bees runs out in a year’s time and he is not interested in extending his stay at the club. The 27-year-old wants to join a bigger club and has an agreement in principle on personal terms with Arsenal.
Raya wants to join Arsenal and has also informed the club about his desire to make the move happen in the ongoing transfer window. While the Gunners are in talks to sign the Spanish international, the price tag set by Brentford is a major roadblock.
The Bees are looking for £40 million for the services of the 27-year-old who will be a free agent in a year’s time. While the fee demanded seems to be on the higher side, Arsenal could be tempted to make it happen because their manager is keen on having him in his ranks.
Ramsdale is an exceptional shot-stopper but the only reason why Arteta wants Raya is because he will allow them to pay it out from the back. The 27-year-old is exceptional with the ball on his feet and he will surely be an upgrade in that sense. With Brentford unlikely to lower their asking price, it will be interesting to see if the Gunners end up placing a bid close to the price tag.
