Premier League club Arsenal have officially confirmed their second signing of the summer.
Many speculations were raised when Arsenal confirmed a loan swoop for David Raya last summer. This was due to Aaron Ramsdale having a lot of following at the Emirates. The move was hence speculated against and criticized but was soon fruitful.
For Sporting Director Edu and Manager Mikel Arteta, Ramsdale was out of the mix of things for good. This was evident in the few chances the Englishman got with the Gunners last season.
Furthermore, Raya performed extremely well for the club securing the golden glove of the league too. Given his performance, it was already speculated that the Gunners will be aiming for a permanent deal this summer.
The loan swoop was worth £3m but also held a permanent transfer clause worth £27m. Given the performance of the Spaniard, it was a matter of time before Arteta would activate the clause.
And on Thursday the official move finally came. Arsenal officially bought Raya paying £27m to Brentford with reports suggesting a four-year contract.
Raya was excited to share the news and become an official permanent player for the side:
“After a year on loan as a Gunner, I can finally say that I’m an Arsenal player for the coming years,” said Raya upon completing the move. “I’m excited to see what the future holds but always living in and enjoying the present.
“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.”
Football Express already reported the expected signing beforehand.
Arteta congrats Raya’s Arsenal move
Manager Arteta said following the move:
“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.”
David Raya followed the footsteps of fellow goalkeeper Lucas Nygaard. The Danish keeper was the first signing of Arsenal this summer joining the Gunners on 27 June.
Striker transfer on the way
Another transfer signing by Arsenal has been confirmed. As revealed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, an exit of £4m from Arsenal is fully agreed and imminent.
The Gunners are all set to sell Mika Biereth, to the Austrian club Sturm Graz. The 21-year-old joined Arsenal back in 2021.
Regardless, the London-born forward found it hard to get in the mix of Arteta’s play. Hence, his time at Arsenal has somewhat ended. Biereth spent the second half of last season loaned out to Sturm Graz and now will join the Austrian side.
On X, Romano wrote:
“Mika Biereth joins Sturm Graz from Arsenal on £4m deal, permanent move approved.
“There will be sell-on clause for Arsenal too.”
Read more: teamtalk
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