David Raya, the Spanish goalkeeper on loan at Arsenal from Brentford, has been a pivotal figure in the team’s current Premier League campaign but has also fuelled speculation about his future with the club.
David Raya, the Spanish goalkeeper on loan at Arsenal from Brentford, has been a pivotal figure in the team’s current Premier League campaign but has also fuelled speculation about his future with the club despite only just arriving on loan with an option.
Since his arrival on a £3 million loan deal with a £27 million option to buy, David Raya has cemented his role in Mikel Arteta‘s starting lineup.
Making his debut against Everton on 17 September, he has started every Premier League game for Arsenal, gaining acclaim for his crucial role in a 1-0 win over Manchester City.
The victory came just before the international break and helped Arsenal secure a joint top spot in the league table with rivals Tottenham.
Mikel Arteta, who has expressed his ambition to have two world-class goalkeepers in the squad, appears to have found more than able candidates in Raya and Aaron Ramsdale.
However, when asked about the possibility of converting his loan into a permanent deal next summer, Raya’s response left space for conjecture.
“I don’t like to look to the future, but the perfect end would be to win a title with Arsenal and to be called up to the national team for the Euros,” Raya told The Athletic.
“Right now, I don’t have it [moving back to Spain] in mind,” he added. “Would I like to play in La Liga? Yes, of course… but at the moment I’m at Arsenal, I’m very happy, and we’ll see what happens in the next few years.” he said.
As for intra-squad competition, Aaron Ramsdale, has yet to dislodge Raya from his starting role. Ramsdale has been largely restricted to the bench in Premier League matches since Raya’s arrival. Despite this, Raya insists that his relationship with Ramsdale is robust and constructive.
“The relationship? It’s very good,” said Raya. “At the end of the day, we are mates, which is the important thing. We have a very healthy relationship. There are no problems.
“We push each other every day in training: when he’s a little bit down, I push him, and when I’m a little bit down (he does the same). We train three goalkeepers, four at the most, for hours a week, and you need that kind of relationship because otherwise, the training is not going to go well.
Raya himself is keen to make the most of the present. “I’m going to fight for it. Arteta gives me the confidence to be there. He wanted to have two top players in each position. It was up to me to find the time and fight to get the minutes. I don’t want to think beyond that. If there are rotations, as there are in any position, I’m going to help on and off the pitch,” he said.