Arsenal are considering a move to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya as competition for Aaron Ramsdale.
According to multiple reports, the Gunners are targeting Raya in a bid to provide competition for Aaron Ramsdale, who has been the Gunners’ number one choice since joining from Sheffield United in 2021.
Brentford have already seen several suitors for Raya, with Bayern Munich and Arsenal’s north London rivals Tottenham also long-term admirers of the goalkeeper. However, the Bees are holding out for a fee of £40 million. Despite Arsenal’s interest, the Gunners are not willing to pay such a hefty price for the Spanish goalkeeper.
Raya Prefers Move to Arsenal over Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have also shown interest in signing Raya from Brentford. However, Raya reportedly prefers a move to Arsenal over the German insist. Back in England, Chelsea also retain an interest in the goalkeeper.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has acknowledged that Raya may leave the club if the right opportunity arises. Frank stated that Raya is a Brentford player for now, but the club is willing to sell him for the right amount. Raya is set to enter the final year of his contract with Brentford.
“He’s worth £40m – I’d love to get that for him. He was one of the four best keepers in the Premier League last season,” said Frank following Brentford’s 3-3 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday.
“What is the price for a player with one year left? Declan Rice went to Arsenal for £105m – is that a fair price? And Harry Kane, one year left, and they’re talking about £150m?
“Anyway, the good thing is it’s not up to me. It’s always complicated. Two sides of the coin when it comes to negotiations and we meet somewhere in the middle.”
Raya’s Impressive Record with Brentford
Since joining Brentford in 2019, Raya has made 161 appearances and kept 54 clean sheets. His contributions in goal played a significant role in Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League from the Championship.
Asides Ramsdale, another could now have yet another top goalkeeper in their ranks, if they manage to complete such a move. It remains to be seen if the Gunners will step up their interest though, given the £40m price-tag currently placed on Raya.
With the new Premier League season just two weeks away, Arsenal are preparing to compete for titles. Before the league commences, they have fixtures against AS Monaco in the Emirates Cup and Manchester City in the Community Shield. The Gunners will kick off their season against Nottingham Forest.
