David Raya completes £3m loan move to Arsenal from Brentford
David Raya completes £3m loan move to Arsenal from Brentford – with deal including a £27m option to buy – as Mikel Arteta recruits Spanish keeper to compete with No 1 Aaron Ramsdale
- Brentford goalkeeper David Raya has completed his loan switch to Arsenal
- Gunners paid an initial £3million loan fee and have the option to buy for £27m
- WATCH: ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ – Episode 1 – Mail Sport’s brand new football show
Brentford goalkeeper David Raya has completed his loan switch to Arsenal.
The Gunners have paid an initial £3million loan fee and have the option to buy the Spaniard for £27m.
Raya will extend his contract to maintain value in case Arsenal fail to take up the option. Arsenal have been pushing the agreement to remain within FFP guidelines.
Despite Aaron Ramsdale’s stellar performances between the sticks, boss Mikel Arteta is keen for the England international to have sterner competition.
Raya completed his medical last week and has completed his season-long loan move from west to north London.
Brentford goalkeeper David Raya has completed his £3million loan switch to Arsenal
Raya (right) was spotted at the Emirates during Arsenal’s win over Nottingham Forest
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The 27-year-old was spotted in the stands at the Emirates on Saturday for the Gunners’ curtain-raiser against Nottingham Forest.
Raya watched his new team-mates beat Steve Cooper’s side 2-1 in a positive start to the new Premier League campaign.
While Arteta is hoping to provide competition for Ramsdale, the move to bring in a man of Raya’s talents has seen him criticised by former Premier League greats Peter Schmeichel and Shay Given.
Schmeichel is at a loss at the move, with the Dane adamant that it will only bring greater insecurity, rather than greater competition, between the players.
‘I absolutely do not get it,’ Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live last week.
‘I cannot understand how a manager can come to the conclusion that it’s a great thing to have competition for the No 1 shirt.
‘A goalkeeper’s position is very reactive. You cannot create anything on your own, you have to wait for things to happen.
Despite Aaron Ramsdale’s (right) stellar performances between the sticks, boss Mikel Arteta (left) is keen for the England international to have sterner competition
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‘You’re now asking your goalkeeper to prove you’re better than the other one. That means you now have to go and do stuff, and you don’t want that. It’s the one position on the pitch where you just want steady.
‘When you have a competition situation he also plays that game for himself and for that position, and I don’t get it.
‘What you do is you put a lot of insecurity into the two of them.’
Given took a similar stance, telling BBC’s Match of the Day 2 that he felt the move was ‘signing a problem’ to the Emirates, when Ramsdale is already between the posts.
Given said: ‘I have a look at that and say “you’re signing a problem”. Ramsdale for me was one of the best players last year. He made some big performances and really settled into the position.
‘Now if you’re bringing in Raya, who’s a number one in his own right, then you’re causing yourself a problem.
Peter Schmeichel is concerned that both goalkeepers will feel under too much pressure now
Shay Given echoed Schmeichel’s sentiments, slamming Arsenal for bringing in Raya
‘I don’t think Raya would leave Brentford – who’s the number one at Brentford – to be number two at Arsenal, or any club. If I was in that position, I wouldn’t go to any club as a number two, no chance. So I don’t understand why Arteta wants to bring him in.
‘The goalie coach used to be at Brentford, so he’s bringing Raya in for a reason, he likes him. Maybe he’s given some assurances he’s going to be number one, but I wouldn’t be happy if I was Ramsdale.’
Former Arsenal backup keeper Matt Turner completed his move to Nottingham Forest last week to make way for the Spain international.
The United States international signed a four-year contract at the City Ground in a deal which could be worth up to £10m.
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