Why Man Utd and Chelsea are getting RIPPED OFF in Raya saga

Tom Weber

• Updated: 31 May 2023 19:48 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United and Chelsea are still interested in Brentford goalkeeper David Raya when they should really have targeted his replacement.

The Red Devils and the Blues are both in the market for a new goalkeeper this summer to provide top-class competition for their current shot-stoppers and both continue to be linked with Brentford's wantaway Spaniard David Raya.

The 27-year-old has shown himself to be a solid goalkeeper - but nothing more. Indeed, a goalkeeping expert has previously told FootballTransfers that Raya is a bit 'overrated.'

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Convinced he has earned himself a big move, Raya is trying to force his way out of the club, with his agent even threatening Brentford, who are holding firm to their €40 million asking price, that he will walk away as a free agent next term if they don't lower their demands.

The agent is correct in implying that his client is not worth that much. The Bees, meanwhile, have already confirmed their replacement: Freiburg star Mark Flekken.

The best Dutch goalkeeper

We argue that not only are Manchester United or Chelsea getting ripped off but they actually could have had a much cheaper - and arguably better - alternative in Flekken who cost Brentford a paltry €13m due to his release clause.

To be sure, Flekken is older than Raya and unproven in the Premier League - since leaving his native Netherlands, he has only played in Germany, being a top-flight starter for just a few years - yet he has performed as one of Europe's best goalkeepers since winning the starting spot at Freiburg.

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In fact, according to data provided by our partners SciSports, Flekken is currently the best goalkeeper hailing from the Netherlands. All of this is not to say that David Raya can't be a top-level goalkeeper for one of the Premier League's biggest sides, we're simply making the case for Mark Flekken, who could have been a viable and much more affordable alternative.