Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is all set to complete their first major signing of the summer worth £27 Million.
Arsenal narrowly missed the Premier League title losing out to Man City by just two points. For the upcoming season however, Mikel Arteta is determined to make a comeback with the Gunners getting the side their first title since 2004.
For the same, Arsenal have now started their summer spending by confirming to sign David Raya on a permanent deal from Brentford.
Raya joined the Emirates on a season-long loan last season as a competition to Aaron Ramsdale. But it soon became clear that Mikel Arteta saw the Spaniard as a number one keeper.
At the start, it was difficult for the 26-year-old to replace Ramsdale who had earned his reputation in the past two years. However, once given a chance, it soon became clear that Raya was the number one keeper now. His heroics against Porto helped the side reach the Champion League quarter-finals this season. This was a first for the Gunners since 2009. It all ultimately put Ramsdale out of contention as the English player got less play time.
Further contributing to his accolades with Arsenal was his securing the 2023/24 season Golden Glove. The Spanish keeper kept a commendable 16 clean sheets throughout the season making him the unquestionable number 1 for Arsenal.
Now, David Raya is all but set to be signed by the North London side permanently. During the loan deal last season, the option of Arsenal purchasing the Spanish keeper permanently was kept open in 2024. For a fee of £27 million, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Emirates will keep their new number 1 keeper.
Aaron Ramsdale successor needed?
Nevertheless, the future of Aaron Ramsdale seems uncertain with Arsenal. The English keeper is currently on national duty with his team in Euros. Once the keeper returns it seems highly likely that a transfer would occur. Ramsdale would definitely not like to play the second guy for the side.
The former Sheffield United keeper was earlier linked with a move to Newcastle. However, the move may not come until the Arsenal valuation is done.
So if Ramsdale does leave the side, Arsenal would definitely go on the lookout for a signing to compete with Raya. Arteta might already have some on the list. The Arsenal side has already been linked with Italian keeper Michele Di Gregorio, Brighton’s Jason Steele, and Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow.
Meanwhile, Arteta is also believed to have a signing on his mind. Polish keeper and former Arsenal teammate Wojciech Szczęsny was linked with the Emirates earlier. The experienced keeper is a fit for the homegrown criteria Arsenal seeks for any successor of Raya.
Szczęsny currently plays for Juventus and has another year left on his contract. Nevertheless, reports indicate that Juventus are set to release one keeper this summer as they try hard to sign Michele Di Gregorio from Monza. If the deal may happen then Szczęsny could very well return to his former team.
The 34-year-old has made over a hundred appearances for the Gunners earlier in his career.
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