Arsenal have officially announced the signing of goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford.
The Gunners have already spent in excess of £200million during the summer transfer window, bringing in Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber. Now, Raya has become the north London club’s fourth signing of the summer, with the Spanish international joining initially on loan for a £3million fee, football.london understands.
This deal then includes a £27million option to buy for Arsenal if all parties find the move agreeable rather than an obligation. The talented shot-stopper made it no secret of his delight after his move was finalised, hailing the size of his new club.
Speaking to the club’s official media team, he said: “I’m over the moon to be able to take this challenge in my career and make the step up. I’m really excited to get going and see how the season ends up.
“I spoke to the boss and he sent me the values of what Arsenal are about. The way that the club is going, it’s growing even more so it is a beautiful challenge to take and I couldn’t say no.
“I’ve seen Arsenal a lot for a lot of years and since [Mikel] came he’s made a massive difference to the style of play and to the club. The way the team plays out of the back, being confident and taking possession to the other team is the main thing why I fit into the team.
“I’m going to try and help as much as possible and we’ll see what happens.” Raya is familiar with Arsenal goalkeeper coach Inaki Cana, who worked with the talented keeper during their time together at Brentford, with the player admitting he is excited to reunite with his former mentor.
“Inaki is very demanding but he’s a very good goalie coach,” he added. “He’s always onto you but he only wants you to be the best. I felt so much better when I started training with him and in the space of six months, he changed my vision of a goalkeeper and the way I played back at Blackburn to how I played at Brentford. He was the first one to change my mindset to see different aspects of goalkeeping.
“I can’t wait to be out there training with the lads and getting that GK union going. That’s a tight group that we’re always going to get along and push each other, so that’s going to be a healthy group in my opinion. I just can’t wait to get going and meet the lads.
“One of the challenges is to get used to the style and the patterns, and get to know the players as soon as possible to get that bond from the beginning. Knowing the players and the staff, I think they’re going to put me in the right direction and I’ll fit in straight away.”
Raya arrives after the Gunners allowed backup goalkeeper Matt Turner to join Nottingham Forest last week, with the 27-year-old now set to compete with current No.1 Aaron Ramsdale, who joined the club back in the summer of 2021. Ramsdale has established himself as one of the best keepers in the Premier League since then, proving numerous doubters wrong in the process.
