ARSENAL TRANSFER IS ‘DREAM COME TRUE’ FOR RAYA AS ARTETA SELECTS ‘TOP TARGET’ TO ‘REPLACE’ RAMSDALE
Spain international David Raya has completed a permanent move to Arsenal from London rivals Brentford, the Premier League giants have confirmed.
The 28-year-old spent last season on loan with the Gunners. He made 41 appearances across all competitions and kept 16 clean sheets in the Premier League as he won the Golden Glove award.
The deal is understood to be worth £27million. Arsenal confirmed it was “subject to the completion of regulatory processes” as head coach Mikel Arteta steps up his preparations ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
“After a year on loan as a Gunner, I can finally say that I’m an Arsenal player for the coming years,” said Raya, who is currently away on international duty with Spain at Euro 2024, where he played in the win over Albania in their final group game.
“I am excited to see what the future holds, but always living in and enjoying the present.
“It is a dream come true to be here and I want to thank you for all the support you have already given me throughout the last year.”
READ: Smith Rowe, Ramsdale, Zinchenko all leave Arsenal as we decide who Arteta should keep and sell
Raya has established himself ahead of Aaron Ramsdale as Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper.
“David showed us last season what an important player he is for us, so we are delighted he is now officially our player,” Arteta said on the Arsenal website.
“He is a big presence in our dressing room and we are really pleased to keep working with him.
“We know he will take the strong foundations he put in place last season and build on them in the years to come and that he will enjoy more success with us.
“We have a very talented group of goalkeepers and I love to see connections like the one I see in our goalkeeping unit.”
Arsenal sporting director Edu feels the addition of Raya shows the intention of the club to go one better than last season, when they finished runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League.
“David’s signing is another strong example of our recruitment strategy in action, as we continue to build a team that will challenge for major trophies,” Edu said.
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“We know there’s so much more to come from him and we are excited that he will continue to be a big part of the journey we are all on.”
A report from Football Transfers claims Espanyol’s Joan Garcia has become Arsenal’s ‘top target should Ramsdale depart this transfer window’.
2024-07-04T15:32:55Z dg43tfdfdgfd‘The 23-year-old has a €25 million release clause in his deal and the Gunners hierarchy are considering him to come in and compete with David Raya should Ramsdale leave.
‘Sources close to the player have informed us that the England international remains indecisive about his future at the Emirates and he is still weighing up his options carefully.
‘In turn, Mikel Arteta needs an answer from Ramsdale within the next week on whether he intends to stay at the club or leave, so he can plan his recruitment for this window.’
