Arsenal have agreed personal terms over a long-term contract with David Raya and will now try to thrash out a deal with Brentford for the talented goalkeeper, according to Evening Standard.
Mikel Arteta is keen on bringing in another top-class shot-stopper to compete with Aaron Ramsdale ahead of the new season and Raya has emerged as a serious target.
The Evening Standard claims that the Spain international has his heart set on a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer and has informed Brentford of his desire to complete a move to Arsenal.
The 27-year-old has now agreed terms over a long-term contract with the Gunners, according to the report, and Arsenal will now hold formal negotiations with Brentford to agree a fee.
However, that’s not going to be easy as Thomas Frank’s side want £40m for the ball-playing goalkeeper – despite the fact he has just one year left on his contract with the club.
Raya rejected a new contract extension earlier last season and has made it clear he wont be signing a new deal, so he could leave for nothing next summer. Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich pulled out of the race to sign Raya earlier in the summer due to Brentford’s asking price so it will be interesting to see if Arsenal can persuade the Bees to lower their valuation.
Reinforcement
Brentford have already signed Netherlands goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Freiburg as Raya’s potential replacement, paving the way for the Spanish shot-stopper to leave the club.
Raya is regarded as one of the best ball-playing goalkeepers in the Premier League following his outstanding performances for Brentford, having joined them from Blackburn in 2019.
He has made a total of 161 appearances and kept 54 clean sheets across all competitions. Last season, he was ever-present for his side as they finished 9th in the top-flight after a positive start to the campaign – beating the likes of Man Utd and completing a league double over Manchester City.
He featured in 39 games and kept 12 clean sheets in all competitions. If Raya completes his move to Arsenal, he will compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the no.1 position at the Emirates.
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