Arsenal signing Brentford’s 27-year-old David Raya would be a statement that they are ready to win titles again.
That’s on the back of journalist David Ornstein’s report that Arsenal are exploring a move for the goalkeeper.
Arsenal reportedly want the £40m goalkeeper in order to compete with Aaron Ramsdale for the first team spot.
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Arsenal’s current number two, Matt Turner, could then be sold to Nottingham Forest as a result.
Such ruthless ambition in the transfer market would be a huge indicator that Mikel Arteta’s men are seriously ready to compete for titles again.
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Despite Turner being a perfectly good option as a backup, Raya would be a massive upgrade.
Arsenal fans will agree that the club have gone too many years without this kind of ruthlessness when squad building.
Raya would of course push Aaron Ramsdale every step of the way, something Turner isn’t doing despite his progress.
If this deal was successful, you would imagine Raya’s initial brief would be to play in cup games, including the Champions League.
And that just shows the new level the club have reached, they can now offer Champions League games to alternatives.
Arsenal signing Raya would show huge ambition for the future
Whilst Arsenal signing Raya would create a positive problem for Arteta, it would be one that needs to be carefully managed.
Both Raya and Ramsdale are at very important stages of their career, stages where they need to be playing games.
And with Ramsdale a very popular figure at the club, it would unsettle a few were he ever dropped.
It would be a positive problem for the manager, but a very difficult one too.
But these are the kind of issues we’ve seen Pep Guardiola juggle for years in his title-winning teams at Manchester City.
Genuine world-class competition for places, a level that now seems the next step for Arteta’s Arsenal.
Arsenal signing Raya would further demonstrate that they are acting like a big club again, something that has taken too long.