David Raya has revealed that he wishes to become the number one keeper at Arsenal after confirming his relationship with Aaron Ramsdale.
Ramsdale has been the number keeper at the Emirate Stadium for the majority of his two-years at the club after benching Bernd Leno.
However, it is now his turn to watch from the bench as Brentford loanee Raya lines up between the sticks for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Raya is currently on loan to Arsenal and it is reported that the deal could be made permanent in the summer with him revealing he is desperate to remain at the club.
Speaking on his loan deal, David Raya said: “I am at one of the most important clubs in the world and I play UCL, one of my dreams. For sure Arteta was key.”
David Raya also went on to add: “Loan deal to be made permanent in 2024? If it was on me… I would have done it yesterday! (if I could)”.
This revelation could spell bad news for Ramsdale as he is currently watching from the bench as the Spaniard enjoys his spot.
However, it is now looking like Arsenal’s head coach has viewed the Spanish goalkeeper as an upgrade to Ramsdale.
David Raya has been behind the sticks for Arsenal, while Aaron Ramsdale has only featured in two matches since August.
David Raya, who spoke to The Athletic, revealed his relationship with Ramsdale, saying: “The relationship? It’s very good.”
“At the end of the day, we are mates, which is the important thing. We have a very healthy relationship. There are no problems.”
“We push each other every day in training: when he’s a little bit down, I push him, and when I’m a little bit down (he does the same).”
“We train three goalkeepers, four at the most, for hours a week, and you need that kind of relationship because otherwise, the training is not going to go well.”
During the game, David Raya attempted a pass which was blocked by City’s Julian Alvarez and it caused a panic at the Emirate home stands.
However, the Spaniard has moved on from that as he stated that he remains fully committed to building from the back regardless of the risks.
Speaking on it, Raya said: “The fans aren’t used to us goalkeepers having the ball for a long time and if they (the opponents) don’t press, you have to wait for the moment to pass the ball.”
“It’s a risk that we take, but I take the responsibility that if, one day, there’s a mistake I’ll raise my hand. There’s no way around it”.
David Raya
David Raya Martín is a Spanish footballer who was born on 15 September, 1995 and plays as a goalkeeper for Arsenal, on loan from Brentford, and the Spain national team.
David Raya began his senior career in England with Blackburn Rovers and he made his professional breakthrough as part of the team that was promoted from League One in 2018.
Raya transferred to Championship club Brentford in 2019 and was a part of the team that was promoted to the Premier League in 2021.
He joined Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal on loan and has been in the sticks for the team since then. He also made his international debut for Spain in 2022.
How Good Is Raya?
A sweeper-keeper, Raya “is known as a vocal keeper, as well as one who is adept with the ball at his feet”.
The Spaniard “can play out from the back and is happy covering the space in behind”, which allows a team “to play with a high line”.
As a result of his and Brentford’s style of play during the 2020–21 season, Raya attempted 300 more passes than any other goalkeeper in the Championship.
David Raya v Aaron Ramsdale 2022/23
| Player | Ramsdale | Raya |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 38 | 38 |
| Passes into final third | 234 | 384 |
| Passing accuracy own half | 91.8% | 86.5% |
| Passing accuracy in opp. half | 22.5% | 37.% |
| Clean sheets | 14 | 12 |
| Clearances (inc. punches) | 34 | 20 |
| Shots faced | 343 | 562 |
| Shots on target faced | 137 | 200 |
| Save percentage | 68.6% | 77% |
| Save percentage (in box) | 66.7% | 71.4% |
| Save percentage (out. box) | 75.9% | 86.5% |
| Catches | 17 | 51 |
| Punches | 14 | 10 |
| Clearances (inc. punches) | 34 | 20 |
