PREMIER LEAGUE
Why have Arsenal signed David Raya?
Raya joins the Gunners on an initial loan deal which will cost £3m for the season.
Arsenal have officially completed the signing of Spanish goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford.
Raya joins the Gunners on an initial loan deal that will cost £3m ($3.8m) for the season, according to a report in The Athletic.
Arsenal can make the move for the shot-stopper permanent next summer for a fee of £27m ($34m).
Why have Arsenal signed Raya?
Aaron Ramsdale impressed as the club’s number one keeper last season so why is this move happening?
The main reason Arsenal have signed Raya is due to their goalkeeping coach Iñaki Caña, as reported by The Athletic.
The Spaniard shares an agent with Raya and has been part of Arteta’s coaching staff at the Emirates Stadium since the end of 2019.
Caña, 47, joined Arsenal from Brentford, where he had been their goalkeeping coach since the summer of 2018, and played a role in Brentford signing Raya from Championship side Blackburn Rovers.
Head coach Thomas Frank later decided to sign Raya for Brentford, and Caña has been insistent on bringing the 27-year-old keeper to Arsenal since he joined the North London club.
Who is David Raya?
Born in Barcelona, Raya went to England aged 16 when he signed for Blackburn as an academy player. He then joined Southport in the National League on a short-term loan deal.
After making 108 senior appearances for Blackburn, he joined Brentford in July 2019, where he became a key player for the club as they were promoted to the Premier League.
Spain debut
Raya was called up to represent Spain in March 2022, making his debut in a 2-1 win over Albania, and was later selected for Spain’s 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.
At the end of the 2022-23 season, he got his hands on silverware when Spain beat Croatia on penalties to win the 2023 UEFA Nations League.