Arsenal to spend €31m on goalkeeping flop

Carlo Garganese

• 7 Jan 2024 16:47 GMT
• 3 min read

Arsenal will make David Raya’s loan move permanent in the summer, but it will come at some cost.

That is according to Sky Sports journalist Darmesh Sheth, who reports that Arsenal plan to active the option to buy clause of €31 million in Raya’s loan deal.

Raya joined Arsenal from Brentford on loan last summer in a controversial deal.

Aaron Ramsdale had performed admirably as Arsenal number one as they went close to winning the Premier League title last season.

But manager Mikel Arteta believed that Raya would be an improvement on Ramsdale, especially in his distribution and construction from the back.

However Raya has been a big disappointment, making a string of errors and largely looking nervy after displacing Ramsdale as first choice.

Despite this, Sheth says that Arsenal will pay what is a quite significant fee to make Raya’s stay permanent in the summer.

Raya to stay at Arsenal

“If you look at what Arsenal’s last deal was in the summer transfer window, they bought David Raya. I say bought David Raya, they actually brought him in on loan, with the option to buy him for £27 million,” he told Give Me Sport.

“We expect that deal to go through, but that money will be spent in the summer as part of next year’s budget rather than this year’s budget, such is the constraints that clubs seem to have right now with FFP.”

The 28-year-old Raya has made 15 Premier League appearances this season for Arsenal, conceding 16 goals and keeping five clean sheets.

He has also played five times in the Champions League, conceding three goals and keeping three clean sheets.

Arsenal’s title challenge has taken a hit in recent games as they have gone three matches without a win, losing to West Ham and Fulham.

They play Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday, although Ramsdale was chosen ahead of Raya.