Arsenal 'reach agreement' with Ramsdale replacement
Tom Weber
- 1 Aug 2023 18:58 BST
- 3 min read
Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Spaniard has emerged as a potential challenger for Aaron Ramsdale and the Gunners are moving swiftly to get a deal done it seems. Having completed the lion's share of their transfer business early in the window with the signings of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice, Mikel Arteta and company are now applying the finishing touches to a squad that they hope will go one better this term and actually win the Premier League.
Ramsdale has been a brilliant Arsenal servant since his €28 million move in 2021, but Arteta has already shown that he is not afraid to axe a goalkeeper if he believes that there is a better option out there, as exhibited by his treatment of Bernd Leno.
READ: Arsenal and Liverpool in transfer battle for Bundesliga star
Raya has impressed at Brentford and he certainly outperformed his English counterpart in some metrics, but a goalkeeping expert previously consulted by FootballTransfers - back when he was linked with Chelsea - claimed that he is 'a bit overrated.'
The Spaniard is desperate to get out of Brentford and a move may finally be in the offing.
Terms agreed
According to Fabrizio Romano, "David Raya has reached an agreement in principle with Arsenal on personal terms." Now it is up to the clubs to settle on a transfer fee, which may yet prove an issue due to Brentford previously showing no signs of budging from their €40 million valuation, seen by many as ridiculous.
Indeed because of this asking price, plenty of other suitors have been put off. Raya has been courted by the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham and most recently was the subject of intense interest from Bayern Munich, but the Germans were only ready to offer a loan deal due to Brentford's valuation - this was not an attractive proposition to Raya and he rejected the approach.
READ: Which teams have spent the most on transfers this summer?
Having already spent €230m on transfers this summer, it will be interesting to see if Arsenal are willing to match Brentford's demands.
