David Raya wants to leave Brentford and play in the Champions League. Credit: Getty Images/Adam Hunger
Brentford goalkeeper David Raya is clear he would prefer to join Arsenal this summer, although the north London club faces constant competition from Bayern Munich to sign the Spaniard.
Arsenal and Brentford are currently negotiating a deal for Raya. , who wants to move to the Emirates Stadium and compete with Aaron Ramsdale for a starting role in Mikel Arteta's team.
Telegraph Sport understands Bayern are still pushing to convince Rai to change the Premier League in the Bundesliga, although sources close to the deal now see a move to Arsenal much more likely.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal and Brentford can agree on a price this summer. Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has publicly valued Raya at £40m.
Raiya is aware of the personal terms that Arsenal will offer if the two clubs come to an agreement and would be happy to accept those terms.
Arsenal have had a longstanding interest in the Spanish goalkeeper and they first attempted to sign him in the summer of 2020 when Brentford turned down an offer worth around £10m.
Arsenal goalkeeping coach Iñaki Caña worked with Rai at Brentford and is believed to have a strong relationship with the 27-year-old. It was Kanya who actually signed Rai at Brentford in 2019 when he joined the club from Blackburn Rovers.
On Wednesday night, after Arsenal's pre-season friendly against Monaco, Arteta declined to comment the club's interest in Raya, saying «You know I won't talk about any player who isn't here, sorry.»
Arteta went on to praise Ramsdale's performance and insist that the England goalkeeper remains in his plans for the future.
a key player for Arsenal, having played a leading role in their bid for the title last season despite some stipulations when he was signed. Photo: Getty Images/Stuart MacFarlane
Ramsdale has grown into one of Arsenal's most important players in recent seasons and has become a popular figure in the dressing room. Now 25, he played in all 38 of Arsenal's Premier League games last season and signed a new contract with the club in May.
In a touching article for Players' Tribune Ramsdale expressed his gratitude to Arteta. for his support last season after his wife Georgina miscarried shortly after the World Cup.
«I really can't describe the pain of that six hour flight back to London even now,» Ramsdale wrote. «I just want people to know that they are not alone if they go through this themselves.»
“When we got back, I told very few people what had happened. Just my family, my teammates and of course Mikel. He was fantastic in every way. Even in the middle of the title race, when there was so much pressure on the club, he asked me if I needed a break to sort things out. Mikel went above and beyond to make sure everything was okay with me and my family.
“For me, it's a manager. We don't always see eye to eye on everything. Sometimes we have very florid conversations about football. But he cares so much about his players and I always respect him for how he handled our grief.”
Three days later, Ramsdale was playing for Arsenal in the North London derby at Tottenham Hotspur and was named the best player. game after a string of saves and a 2-0 win.
Ramsdale also vowed to tackle homophobia in football, writing that his brother Oliver is gay.
“Over the years, I, probably bit my tongue too many times — both in the locker rooms and on social media — whenever I hear homophobic comments or nonsense, ”wrote Ramsdale. “And I think maybe my brother did the same, thinking it would make my life easier. Well, it all ends today.”
Meanwhile, Sheffield United have completed the signing of US defender Auston Trusty from Arsenal for around £5m. Trusty joined Arsenal in January 2022 for around £1.5m. He excelled last season on loan at Birmingham City.
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