Spain international Raya has one year remaining on the four-year contract he signed at Brentford in October 2020; Bayern Munich also keen on Raya; Nottingham Forest in talks for Gunners back-up Matt Turner and edging closer to signing Man Utd goalkeeper Dean Henderson
Sunday 30 July 2023 21:49, UK
Arsenal are interested in signing Brentford goalkeeper David Raya to compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the No 1 spot.
Talks are ongoing behind the scenes about the next step and whether Arsenal will formalise their interest with a bid.
Arsenal tried to sign Raya, who has one year left on his contract, in the summer of 2020 but saw a number of offers rejected.
Brentford value the Spain international at £40m and boss Thomas Frank believes he warrants that price when compared to other transfers this summer
"He's worth £40m - I'd love to get that for him. He was one of the four best keepers in the Premier League last season," said Frank following Brentford's 3-3 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday.
"What is the price for a player with one year left? Declan Rice went to Arsenal for £105m - is that a fair price? And Harry Kane, one year left, and they're talking about £150m?
"Anyway, the good thing is it's not up to me. It's always complicated. Two sides of the coin when it comes to negotiations and we meet somewhere in the middle."
The Gunners could also see back-up 'keeper Matt Turner leave the club, with Nottingham Forest in talks about signing him. Early suggestions indicate a gap in valuation for the 29-year-old.
Forest are also edging closer to signing Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Talks continue over a loan with an obligation to buy. It's understood Forest are in the market to sign two goalkeepers in this window.
Earlier this week Bayern Munich opened talks with Brentford over a deal for goalkeeper Raya but they are yet to reach the English club's expectations for a transfer.
Raya has said he is "ready to make the next step in his career" this summer.
However, despite having also signed a new goalkeeper in Mark Flekken to compete with Thomas Strakosha, Brentford are prepared to have three top 'keepers if their valuation of Raya is not met.
Raya had also been on the wanted lists at Tottenham and Manchester United this summer, prior to them signing Guglielmo Vicario and Andre Onana respectively.
Those additions paved the way for an approach from Bayern as they look to replace Yann Sommer, who is in talks over a move to Inter Milan.
Raya travelled to the USA as part of the Brentford squad for the Premier League Summer Series, but Flekken has been preferred by Thomas Frank in the games against Fulham and Brighton.
The 27-year-old joined the Bees from Blackburn in the summer of 2019 and has made 161 appearances in all competitions.
Arsenal's goalkeeping coach Inaka Cana is a key aspect of the club's long-term interest in Raya.
Cana was previously the goalkeeping coach at Brentford and played a major part in Raya signing for the Bees from Blackburn in the summer of 2019.
They were both born in Barcelona and Cana has followed Raya's progress since his time as a youth Cornella, a smaller team based in Barca.
Raya has spoken glowingly of Cana several times, especially amid Arsenal's interest in him again in 2021.
"He has helped me loads," Raya said. "He's a completely different character on the pitch, he's very hardworking, very tough, and I think every goalkeeper who's worked from him will tell you the same.
"You learn a lot, he puts you on your toes all the time, and he never lets you go down a level. He wants every single exercise 110 per cent, you cannot go 80. If you go 80, you cannot catch up, it's impossible."
The pair are understood to have remained friends despite Cana moving to Arsenal in December 2019 after just six months of working closely together.
Cana and Arsenal are understood to believe Raya fits the way Mikel Arteta's team play especially with his passing ability playing out from the back.
Bayern Munich remain interested in Raya too despite not meeting Brentford's expectations for a transfer so far.
They are understood to have proposed an initial loan but this is not of interest to the Bees, who value him at £40m, nor Raya, who has a year left on his contract.
No goalkeeper was used more - by his team-mates and the opposition players - last season.
Raya faced the most shots, made the most saves, claimed the second-most crosses, made more touches and completed the most passes out of all the other top-flight goalkeepers last season.
But what we have seen is a clear similarity between the way Arsenal and Brentford build up from the back with Inaki Cana working with both teams. In fact, their goal kick paths are almost identical.
Sky Sports spoke to some of Raya's former coaches to discover how the Spaniard went from non-league club Southport to the Premier League...
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
