Premier League title chasers Arsenal have ceased a market opportunity with both hands ahead of the 2023-24 Premier League season after the Gunners have reached an agreement for Brentford shot-stopper David Raya.
Per football insider Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners have finally reached a full agreement with the Bees to prize away one of the best keepers in England in the wake of Raya having already agreed personal terms last week.
Total package of David Raya deal will be close to £30m total package fee, being clarified in the next hours 🚨🔴⚪️
Raya will sign contract until June 2028 at Arsenal, medical later this week.
Brentford make huge profit, they signed Raya for £2.7m from Blackburn in 2019. pic.twitter.com/EBbQ2BnGez
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 8, 2023
According to reports, Raya needed little convincing to cross the capital and join up with Mikel Arteta and company at the Emirates once Arsenal’s interest was made known, despite previous interest from both Chelsea and Tottenham in the 27-year-old Spanish international.
Arsenal will pay a fee close to the £30m mark for Raya, who has signed on to a five-year contract in North London, with Brentford standing to make a ~£27 profit on the former Blackburn standout.
Questions will remain surrounding what this means for current Arsenal number one Aaron Ramsdale after the English keeper has been a key ingredient in Arteta’s revolution at the club, while also turning shoot-out hero at the weekend in the club’s Community Shield win over Manchester City to kick-start the 2023-24 season.
Even though Arsenal is back in the Champions League and offering ample opportunities to start, it is indeed rare that a club carries two bonafide number-one keepers for more than a season. How this pans out remains to be seen.
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