Arsenal have confirmed their first permanent arrival of the summer transfer window, taking up their option to sign David Raya from Brentford for £27m.
The Spain international - who is currently away with La Roja at Euro 2024 - joined Mikel Arteta's side on loan for the 2023-24 campaign and ousted Aaron Ramsdale from the first XI after just a few weeks.
Raya initially struggled to justify Arteta's bold selection call, leading to criticism of both him and his manager, but he managed to cut out his early errors to become a pivotal part of the Arsenal XI last season.
The 28-year-old won the Premier League Golden Glove with 16 clean sheets and also helped the Gunners reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, saving two penalties in the last-16 shootout win over Porto.
Arsenal are thought to have decided to trigger Raya's £27m permanent option some months ago, but the North London giants only confirmed on Thursday that the Spaniard would be sticking around for the long-term.
David Raya, here to stay 👊
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 4, 2024
It's official: last season's Golden Glove winner has signed a permanent deal at The Arsenal ❤️
Raya reflects on "dream come true" after Arsenal deal confirmed
"After a year on loan as a Gunner, I can finally say that I'm an Arsenal player for the coming years. I'm excited to see what the future holds but always living in and enjoying the present," Raya told the official Arsenal website.
"It's a dream come true to be here and I want to thank you for all the support you have already given me throughout the last year."
Head coach Mikel Arteta talked up the "connections" within the goalkeeping ranks after Raya's move was confirmed, saying: "David showed us last season what an important player he is for us, so we are delighted he is now officially our player. He is a big presence in our dressing room and we are really pleased to keep working with him.
"We know he will take the strong foundations he put in place last season and build on them in the years to come, and that he will enjoy more success with us. We have a very talented group of goalkeepers and I love to see connections like the one I see in our goalkeeping unit."
Finally, sporting director Edu added: "We are so happy to have completed the deal to sign David from Brentford. He had a beautiful first season with us, winning the Premier League Golden Glove. He is a talented international, a great professional and a popular figure at the club. We benefited from all of this last season during his loan with us.
© Reuters
"David's signing is another strong example of our recruitment strategy in action, as we continue to build a team that will challenge for major trophies. We know there's so much more to come from him and we are excited that he will continue to be a big part of the journey we are all on."
Raya leaves Brentford with a record of 54 clean sheets from 161 games for the Bees in all competitions, helping the Bees transform into a fully-fledged member of the Premier League after starting out in the Championship.
Raya move to trigger Ramsdale exit?
Arteta's comments about there being a "very talented" group of goalkeepers in North London suggests that he still rates Raya's deputy Ramsdale very highly, despite brutally demoting him from the XI after two successful years in between the posts.
However, the England international has already affirmed that he never wants to experience another season like 2023-24 again, and barring a serious injury for Raya, that is exactly what will happen in 2024-25.
As a result, Raya's move being made permanent surely only increases the chances of Ramsdale heading for the exit door, especially if he wishes to remain a part of Gareth Southgate's England setup.
Ben Knapton
