Ornstein hails transformative Arsenal transfer as bid confirmed

Tom Weber

Updated: 21 Sept 2024 12:38 BST
3 min read

David Ornstein has waxed lyrical about Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.

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The Gunners shot-stopper had his loan to the club made permanent in the summer. Last term, Raya supplanted Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal's No.1 and the club were keen to ensure that he stays put long-term.

Ramsdale, seeing no way past the Spaniard, has since joined Southampton on a permanent deal, while Arsenal had wanted to replace him with Joan Garcia. They ultimately failed in this endeavour, but Espanyol's sporting director confirmed on Friday that a bid had been made and that Garcia may sold further down the line.

The Olympic gold medalist would have provided more competition for Raya than the man the north London giants ended up signing as they loaned 35-year-old Neto from Bournemouth. As a result, Raya has been allowed to flourish without the pressure of potentially losing his place and he has made the most of it.

The 29-year-old has been outstanding so far in this still-young campaign and he showed all of his quality against Atalanta in the Champions League on Thursday.

Ornstein hails Raya

Speaking in the wake of Raya's standout performance, The Athletic's transfer specialist David Ornstein hailed the Gunners' business and the signing of the Spaniard as transformative.

“To think many people were questioning the signing of Raya, that looks a bit ill-judged now because he is absolutely fundamental to what Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are doing," Ornstein said.

“That's to take nothing away from the debate with Aaron Ramsdale, who's a fine goalkeeper in his own right, and Raya has made mistakes, especially in the early days when there was all that scrutiny.

“But I think it's starting to look like a bargain of a signing. He is 29 years old and is going to be Arsenal's number one by the looks of it for many years to come.”