£27m Arsenal ‘revelation’ now named as outside candidate for ‘Player of the Year’ award

Add as preferred source on Google

Journalist James Benge has now named one surprise candidate that he feels should be in the conversation for the Arsenal ‘Player of the Year’ award.

There are plenty of contenders for the Arsenal ‘Player of the Year’ award this time around.

The likes of Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka all feel like obvious candidates. 

Odegaard has been described as a perfect captain for Arsenal. The Norwegian playmaker is not only extremely technically gifted and a creative hub for the team, but he also leads by example with his extraordinary work-rate and relentless pressing. 

Saka, meanwhile, has been the Gunners’ most productive attacking outlet this season. The Hale End academy graduate has racked up 18 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.

Rice has made a huge impact at the Emirates Stadium since his club-record £105 million arrival from West Ham United in the recent summer transfer window. The midfielder has added steel to the middle of the park and has shone with his consistency, and has also shown that he can have an impact in the final third. Arsenal fans are convinced that Rice was worth every penny that Mikel Arteta paid for him.

Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes also deserve to be in the conversation to be ‘Player of the Year.’ However, James Benge has now suggested that goalkeeper David Raya should also be considered for the honour.

Should David Raya be named Arsenal ‘Player of the Year’?

Speaking to Charles Watts on his Inside Arsenal YouTube channel, Benge said, “one player that I don’t think would be my player of the year, but I did want to shout out…he would be right on the cusp of the ballot. That would be David Raya. We haven’t spoken about him in weeks, months, and that is always, always a good thing in a goalkeeper…Arsenal don’t make stupid mistakes anymore. They very rarely do. I think a large part of that is down to the authority and charisma which David Raya [brings]…I think he’s been a revelation.”

The Spanish shot-stopper is currently on loan with the Gunners from Brentford, but Arsenal are set to pay £27 million to make Raya’s switch to North London permanent. He has certainly now established himself as the No. 1 at the Emirates Stadium. 

READ MORE: How much Arsenal paid to sign every first-team player in the transfer market

How David Raya has established himself at Arsenal

It has not always been easy for Raya in his short time at Arsenal so far, though. He arrived at the club in the summer behind Aaron Ramsdale in the pecking order, and whilst he quickly usurped the England man, there was extensive debate for some time about who the first-choice ought to be.

Ramsdale is a fan-favourite at Arsenal. He had also done little wrong to deserve losing his place in the team. However, Arteta clearly felt that Raya was a better tactical fit for his vision of how he wants the Gunners to play. 

Time has proven Arteta right on this. Arsenal fans once campaigned for Raya to be dropped and for Ramsdale to be brought back in after the loanee had some nervy moments early on. Since he has settled, though, Raya has been solid.

The Arsenal defence has been outstanding since the turn of the year, and he has been a key factor in that. He is also on course to win the Premier League Golden Glove award for most clean sheets in the competition this season.