After hearing that Arsenal held an interest in him, David Raya revealed the opportunity to make the switch was something he could not reject.
The Spanish international goalkeeper has joined the Gunners on a season-long loan from Brentford where he has shown his quality in the Premier League over the past couple seasons. After speaking to Mikel Arteta, he believes it is time to show his talent on a bigger stage.
Raya reveals easy decision to choose Arsenal
Speaking after his move to Arsenal, he said: “I’m over the moon to be able to take this challenge in my career and make the step up,” he said after putting pen to paper. “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.”
David will face another familiar name in Arsenal goalkeeper coach Inaki Cana, who worked with the goalkeeper during their time together at the Bees, and the new Arsenal signing is excited that their partnership is back together.
He added: “Inaki is very demanding but he’s a very good goalie coach,” the 27-year-old reflected. “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.”
