Tottenham Hotspur aren’t short of goalkeepers with Hugo Lloris, Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman and Brandon Austin on their books, but the Lilywhites are looking to bring in another shot-stopper if reports are to be believed.
Marca says Spurs ‘want’ Brentford goalkeeper David Raya and may have to battle Chelsea for his signature. The 27-year-old is a regular for the Bees but has an uncertain future after turning down two new deals, per The Athletic.
Raya is out of contract in 2024 and isn’t putting pen to paper on an extension beyond next year, so Brentford might have to cash in while he has value.
Among goalkeepers that have made more than 10 appearances this season, the Spanish international boasts the most saves in the top-five European divisions (4.3 per game).
Raya has conceded 31 goals in 24 games, keeping only eight clean sheets, but it’s worth noting that he’s fifth in the Premier League for most saves per shots on target (77.3%).
As previously mentioned, Tottenham have four senior goalkeepers, so who would make way if Raya was signed? Lloris could be the one replaced as he’s also out of contract next year without being close to signing a new deal.
The 36-year-old has conceded nearly four more goals than his expected tally while saving only 70.5% of shots on target faced, so he’s performing worse than Raya this season.
Tottenham would have to pay around £40m to sign Raya this summer, per Goal, but Brentford manager Thomas Frank doesn’t want to lose such an important player. The problem is Raya’s contract running down, as he could leave on a free transfer next year.
The 26-year-old told The Athletic that he’s willing to stay until his deal expires, bur Brentford would surely prefer to make £40m+ for new signings, so they would need to sell him this year – Raya’s value will drop the closer he gets to the expiration on his contract.
Raya has previously said he wants to play in Europe and challenge for major honours, so Tottenham would be an attractive proposition as they’re on course to seal Champions League football for a second consecutive campaign. Time will tell where he ends up.
