Arsenal have confirmed the signing of David Raya on a permanent deal from Brentford after the goalkeeper’s initial loan spell in 2023-24.
The club paid Brentford £3million (€3.5m, $3.8m)to loan the Spain international last season with a £27m option to make the deal permanent this summer.
Raya, 28, made 41 appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side last season, keeping 20 clean sheets. 16 of those were in the Premier League, which saw him win the competition’s golden glove award.
“After a year on loan as a Gunner, I can finally say that I’m an Arsenal player for the coming years,” Raya said.
“I’m excited to see what the future holds but always living in and enjoying the present. It’s a dream come true to be here and I want to thank you for all the support you have already given me throughout the last year.”
GO DEEPER
The marginal gains that helped Raya deliver his best moment yet for Arsenal
Sporting director Edu said: “We are so happy to have completed the deal to sign David from Brentford.
“He had a beautiful first season with us, winning the Premier League Golden Glove. He is a talented international, a great professional and a popular figure at the club. We benefited from all of this last season during his loan with us.
“David’s signing is another strong example of our recruitment strategy in action, as we continue to build a team that will challenge for major trophies. We know there’s so much more to come from him and we are excited that he will continue to be a big part of the journey we are all on.”
Manager Mikel Arteta said: “David showed us last season what an important player he is for us, so we are delighted he is now officially our player.
“He is a big presence in our dressing-room and we are really pleased to keep working with him. We know he will take the strong foundations he put in place last season and build on them in the years to come, and that he will enjoy more success with us.
“We have a very talented group of goalkeepers and I love to see connections like the one I see in our goalkeeping unit.”
GO DEEPER
How Raya’s distribution is evolving to offer Arsenal a new avenue of attack
Raya had a tense start to life at Arsenal last season, usurping Aaron Ramsdale as Arteta’s first choice goalkeeper and taking a few months to settle.
Arsenal’s interest in him dates back to the summer of 2020, however, and they were rewarded for their perseverance with his performances in the second half of the season. Arteta has spoken about how Raya ‘prevents things we don’t see’ as a goalkeeper being one of his main strengths, but he also excelled as the source of attacks with his ability to claim crosses and distribute quickly.
The 28-year-old’s two penalty saves in the Champions League quarter-final shootout win over Porto stand out as his best moments in an Arsenal shirt so far. Without the need to settle into a new environment, the hope will be that he carries that momentum into the 2024-25 season.
Elsewhere in Arsenal’s goalkeeping department, last month Karl Hein signed a new contract and Danish youth international Lucas Nygaard joined the academy from FC Nordsjaelland.
The Athletic have reported that there has been little movement on Ramsdale’s future but if he is to leave, Espanyol’s Joan Garcia, 23, is high on their contingency plan as a deputy to Raya.
GO DEEPER
The rise of Raya: To Arsenal via Brentford, Barcelona and Blackburn
(Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
