Although the initial offer from Arsenal for David Raya is likely to be turned down, the transaction is still very much in play.
According to David Ornstein, a deal between Arsenal and Brentford is actually not that far away, and it appears that all parties are in favor of moving forward with the transaction right away.
We wouldn’t be surprised to see some forward motion on this front very soon since it appears like Arsenal aren’t far from making this move.
According to reports, Raya has personally agreed to terms with the Gunners, and Brentford also wants to sell the Spaniard to Arsenal.
It appears like Arsenal will soon have a new custodian on staff.
The addition of Raya will be highly interesting for the makeup of the Arsenal squad.
The Gunners’ current indisputable number one, Aaron Ramsdale, may no longer hold that position if the Spaniard is brought in.
Although there is a valid case to be made that Raya is superior to Ramsdale, doing so would be risky given the myriad intangibles associated with goalkeeping.
At this moment, Ramsdale is a leader in the dressing room, very comfortable and secure in this team, and he knows his back four like the back of his hand.
Arsenal could lose a lot of what makes England international Ramsdale such a crucial member of the team if Ramsdale is replaced as the team’s starting custodian.
The best managers in the world must occasionally be brutal, and if Mikel Arteta honestly believes that Raya is an improvement over what Arsenal currently has, then he’s right to complete this transaction, even if it means sacrificing Ramsdale in the process.
Keep an eye out for any new developments in this transaction as it is still very much active.