‘Step up’ - David Raya’s first words after Arsenal confirm £3m loan signing

Arsenal have now confirmed the signing of Brentford goalkeeper David Raya.

The Gunners have already been busy this summer, spending more than £200million on the signings of Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, and the spending has continued with the signing of Raya, albeit Arsenal will only initially pay a loan fee of £3million. The Gunners also hold an option to buy in the deal worth £27million, taking the potentialy long-term value of the deal to £30million.

Number one goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale impressed last season, but Arteta has opted to create tough competition for the starting goalkeeper spot by signing Raya.

Raya knows he will be in for a tough battle, but speaking to Arsenal’s official website after completing the move, he said: “I’m over the moon to be able to take this challenge in my career and make the step up. I’m really excited to get going and see how the season ends up. I spoke to the boss and he sent me the values of what Arsenal are about. The way that the club is going, it’s growing even more so it is a beautiful challenge to take and I couldn’t say no.

“I’ve seen Arsenal a lot for a lot of years and since [Mikel] came he’s made a massive difference to the style of play and to the club. The way the team plays out of the back, being confident and taking possession to the other team is the main thing why I fit into the team. I’m going to try and help as much as possible and we’ll see what happens.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal chief Edu said of the deal: “We welcome David to us on a season-long loan from Brentford. David is a top-quality goalkeeper, who has consistently performed to a high level with Brentford in the Premier League. With David joining us we are adding quality and depth to our squad so we can perform at the highest possible level in all competitions.”