4 months ago
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Arsenal have activated their option to sign David Raya on a permanent deal from Brentford.
Mikel Arteta raised eyebrows when he opted to sign the Spain international on loan last season and opted to oust Aaron Ramsdale.
Raya initially struggled to convince he was an upgrade on the popular 26-year-old who had earned cult hero status during his first two years at the Emirates Stadium.
After a shaky start, Raya grew in stature as the season wore on and turned a significant corner when his penalty saving heroics helped the Gunners eliminate Porto and reach the Champions League quarter finals for the first time since 2009.
Raya ended the campaign by scooping the Golden Glove award after keeping an impressive 16 clean sheets which helped cement his status as the club’s undisputed No.1.
The 28-year-old will soon be confirmed as an Arsenal player on a permanent basis with Fabrizio Romano confirming last season’s Premier League runners-up will pay a £27 million fee.
Ramsdale’s future, meanwhile, remains uncertain with the former Sheffield United goalkeeper unlikely to settle for playing second fiddle again.
Newcastle had been linked with a move for the England international but were said to have been put off by Arsenal’s valuation.
Should Ramsdale depart as expected, Arsenal will press ahead with their plan to sign a new No.2 capable of competing with Raya.
The Gunners have already been linked with moves for a string of potential new keepers including Monza’s Michele Di Gregorio, Brighton’s Jason Steele and Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow.
Most intriguingly, Arteta is said to have registered an interest in his former Arsenal teammate Wojciech Szczesny.
The experienced Poland international fits the homegrown criteria Arsenal are seeking as a priority in any potential Ramsdale successor.
Szczesny has just one year remaining on his current Juventus contract and the Italian giants are likely to sell a goalkeeper this summer as they work on a deal to sign Michele Di Gregorio from Monza.
The 34-year-old, who made well over a 100 Premier League appearances for Arsenal earlier in his career, currently earns £100,000-a-week and those wages could prove prohibitive.
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