August 15, (THEWILL) – Arsenal completed a deal on Tuesday to acquire Spanish goalkeeper David Raya on a season-long loan from fellow English Premier League side Brentford.
The 27-year-old had been at the centre of transfer speculation this summer, with reported interest from Bayern Munich and the Gunners’ London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal were able to sign Raya after the player informed Brentford of his desire to join the Emirates side. The deal includes an option for Arsenal to make the transfer permanent next summer.
Raya has spent his entire professional career in England after beginning at Blackburn Rovers in 2014. He moved to Brentford in 2019 and helped the club gain promotion to the EPL for the first time in 74 years. The loan deal was preferred to keep the Gunners within the limits of the EPL Financial Fair Play Policies.
The Spaniard will provide depth behind Arsenal’s current number one, Aaron Ramsdale, who signed a long-term contract extension in May after two excellent seasons under manager Mikel Arteta. The Bees had been preparing for Raya’s potential departure by signing Netherlands goalkeeper, Mark Flekken, earlier this summer from Bundesliga side, Freiburg.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
