"Are there two main goalkeepers?" Arsenal, Brentford, GK recruitment spurs...Inter-team Dialogue Positive
Fabrizio Romano, a reporter specializing in the transfer market, said on his SNS account on the 8th (Korea Standard Time), "Negotiations between Arsenal and Brentford on Raya are continuing. The deal is close, and both sides hope to finalize it in a few days," he said.
Arsenal are showing their commitment to the upcoming EPL presidential challenge. It has recruited top defensive midfielder Declan Rice in the league for 105 million pounds (about 176 billion won). He bought Kai Havertz, who was unable to establish himself in Chelsea, for 60 million pounds (about 100.5 billion won). Julien Timber, a promising Dutch defender, also wore an Arsenal uniform for 40 million euros (about 57.6 billion won).
Arsenal, who brought three players with a large investment, is also aiming for a new goalkeeper. Arsenal have main goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale but are likely to break up with backup goalkeeper Matt Turner. Global sports media "The Athletic" reported on the 7th that "Nottingham Forest has agreed to a contract with Turner." Arsenal picked Raya as a resource to compete with Ramsdale.
Raya is a goalkeeper with good skills. Although he is 182cm tall, he is considered to have excellent build-up skills. He moved from Blackburn Rovers to Brentford in July 2019, and has been the team's main goalkeeper since his first year. Raya's position remained strong even after Brentford was promoted to the EPL in the 2021/22 season. Last season, he played in all of the EPL (38 games) and recorded 12 scoreless games.
Raya and Brentford's contract ends in June next year. Arsenal's rival Tottenham Hotspur approached first, but felt burdened by Brentford's demand of 40 million pounds (about 67 billion won), so he turned to Italy's Guglielmo Vicario. According to the British daily Guardian, Bayern Munich offered Raya a lease, but he was rejected, which is likely to lead him to Arsenal. 안전놀이터
According to England's Football London, Arsenal's first offer of 23 million pounds (about 38.2 billion won) was rejected, but both sides are showing confidence in the deal. According to Romano, Raya is keen to go to Arsenal. When Arsenal embrace Raya, Arsenal will have two main goalkeepers.