Arsenal are expected to make the David Raya deal permanent, with Fabrizio Romano stating that everything is already agreed upon between the clubs.
Fabrizio Romano on Give Me Sport has claimed that David Raya is poised to seal a permanent move to Arsenal after impressing on loan so far this season. The Italian journalist has suggested there is an understanding between the clubs to seal the move but remains unsure of the timeline.
Arsenal to trigger David Raya’s option
Many Arsenal fans were left baffled by Mikel Arteta’s decision to bring David Raya to the club late in the summer window. The move came after Aaron Ramsdale agreed on a long-term contract with the club. And at that point, it looked like the England international would be the Gunners’ long-term No.1.
Incidentally, a year before Ramsdale signed for the club, Arteta held a significant interest in Raya. Still, the finances at the time and Brentford’s reluctance to sell blocked a potential move. The Gunners’ boss saw the opportunity with the 28-year-old Spaniard this summer and decided to bring him on board.
Amid FFP concerns, Brentford agreed to loan Raya to Arsenal for a fee of £3 million and included a £27 million buy option. The 28-year-old Spaniard has since usurped Ramsdale for the No.1 spot, and it appears he is Arteta’s preferred choice as things stand.
Around December, Fabrizio Romano insisted Arsenal might trigger the buy option early with suggestions that Arteta was more than convinced of the Spaniard’s quality. Now, the Italian journalist has reiterated the same and suggests Raya is poised to seal a permanent move to the Emirates.
Aaron Ramsdale’s future at Arsenal
With the Euros around the corner, Ramsdale wanted to feature regularly this season but did not envisage Arsenal’s move for Raya. The Spaniard’s arrival has marginalised England international, as rumours about an imminent exit in January began doing their rounds.
Despite interest from Chelsea and Newcastle United, Arsenal have decided to keep Ramsdale for the remainder of the season. Whether he can compete at the highest level and reclaim his spot from Raya remains the question, but it is still a possibility.
The Gunners have already seen links to Sunderland’s Anthony Patterson to replace Ramsdale. Considering Raya appears likely to seal a permanent move, if the ex-Sheffield United star fails to reclaim his No.1 spot, the chances of him leaving are pretty high. The Gunners would demand significant from the England international; there will be a lot of clubs chasing his signature.