Why would Arsenal want to sign David Raya?

In a move that has come out of nowhere – as possible as it is in the modern game – Arsenal could increase their summer spending even more in the coming days as they edge closer to securing David Raya from Brentford.

Aaron Ramsdale has quickly become a fan favourite at the Emirates and many believe Arsenal aren’t in need of a new goalkeeper, but Raya offers manager Mikel Arteta a different profile to what is currently at his disposal. Back-up goalie Matt Turner could leave soon, too, with Nottingham Forest showing interest.

The Gunners seem prepared to spend a lot on a goalkeeper who would not necessarily be the number one upon arrival, but they know quality in depth will be key to another Premier League title challenge, as well as a meaningful Champions League campaign.

Here’s what Arsenal could be getting from Raya and why they want the Spaniard.

He went under the radar for many during the 2022/23 campaign, but Raya was one of the best goalkeepers in Europe and deserves the attention he is now getting. The major selling point of Raya is what he can do with the ball at his feet.

Thomas Frank’s Brentford side play the same sort of progressive, ball-on-the-floor football Arsenal have displayed under Mikel Arteta and, to do that effectively, you need a goalkeeper who is comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Raya is exactly that, and the stats suggest he is much better at it than Ramsdale.

Across last season, Ramsdale made 934 total passes, far fewer than Raya’s 1475. Raya also made 141 more open play passes than Ramsdale and 272 more long passes. That ties in with a very important stat, which is that Raya completed 292 passes into the opposition half, while Ramsdale made 86.

That suggests Ramsdale is much happier to give the ball to the nearest defender while Raya often bypasses those players by getting the ball straight into more dangerous areas.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp spoke very highly of Raya’s passing ability after a 3-3 draw between the teams, saying: “The goalkeeper could have the shirt with number 10. He played a few incredible balls but it was the right thing to do against us today.”

Despite all of that, there has been little call for Ramsdale to be stripped of his starting spot at Arsenal. Arteta must be keen to have a back-up goalkeeper who is much closer to the ability of the starting goalkeeper, in order to push both to improve further. The differences between Raya and Ramsdale also offer Arteta a couple of different options throughout the season tactically.

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Despite Arsenal’s clear interest, it may take a few rounds of talks before they get Raya through the door. The first bid, reported by 90min, is £20m with £5m of add-ons. Bees boss Frank spoke recently about how much he wants for Raya and it is much more than that.

He said: “He’s worth £40m – I’d love to get that for him. He was one of the four best keepers in the Premier League last season.

“What is the price for a player with one year left? Declan Rice went to Arsenal for £105m, is that a fair price? And Harry Kane, one year left, and they’re talking about £150m? Anyway, it’s not up to me. It’s always complicated. Two sides of the coin when it comes to negotiations and we meet somewhere in the middle.”

It remains to be seen just how far Arsenal are willing to push for a signing that would be more of a luxury than a necessity. They have spent £231.6m so far on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, more than anyone else.

LISTEN TO CHRONICLES OF A GOONER, 90MIN’S ARSENAL PODCAST

On this edition of The Chronicles of a Gooner, part of the 90min podcast network, Harry Symeou reacts to Arsenal’s bid for David Raya and looks ahead to the Community Shield against Manchester City! If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!

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