Arsenal eye former Chelsea target as Ramsdale's replacement

Cameron Smith

• 30 Jul 2023 09:25 CDT
• 3 min read

Arsenal are currently exploring the possibility of signing Spanish goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford, according to reports.

Raya, 27, was heavily linked with Chelsea earlier this summer, while Tottenham Hotspur soon entered the race too, but both clubs decided against matching Brentford’s asking price.

Instead, Bayern Munich pressed ahead with their pursuit of Raya, but the Bavarians’ most recent offer was only a loan deal, which wasn’t a suitable option for either Raya or Brentford.

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The Athletic’s David Ornstein has reported that Arsenal are targeting a move for Raya to compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the number one jersey at the Emirates Stadium.

The report states that Brentford have not yet received an offer from Arsenal, but the Bees are aware of interest from Mikel Arteta.

Raya would rather join Arsenal than Bayern, according to Ornstein, due to a host of reasons, including the fact he would be reunited with former Brentford goalkeeper coach Inaki Cana.

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Current Gunners back-up ‘keeper Matt Turner has been linked with a move to Nottingham Forest, with Steve Cooper’s side keeping an eye on the USMNT international.

Raya or Ramsdale: Who is better?

Goalkeepers are extremely difficult to compare, but some SciSports statistics show that Raya may be a better fit for Mikel Arteta’s side than Ramsdale.

Firstly, Raya conceded from 1.1% of the crossed corners he faced last season, while Ramsdale was at 1.56%. Raya was also far superior in dealing with long-distance efforts - he conceded 4.31% of the long-distance shots he faced last year, less than Ramsdale’s 6.45%.

The Spaniard was also better with the ball at his feet in 2022/23. He made 23.60 passes, 23.60 build-up passes and 0.15 switches of play per 90. By comparison, Ramsdale was at 16.17, 16.17 and 0.02 per 90 for those metrics.