Mikel Arteta has signed several top-class players since he became the Arsenal manager.
Declan Rice is perhaps his best recruit over the years, while Gabriel Magalhaes deserves a shout too, considering how affordable his transfer fee was.
There have been a few examples of Arteta signing players when the fans were against it, but the Arsenal manager proved to be right in the end.
One such player is David Raya, and Arteta has heaped praise on him now.
Arsenal fans…if David Raya isn’t Arsenal’s best Premier League goalkeeper ever, then who is?
Mikel Arteta admits even he didn’t expect David Raya to be this good
Arsenal signed Raya from Brentford in the summer of 2023, initially on loan.
A decision was made by Mikel Arteta to drop Aaron Ramsdale for his compatriot just a few games into the season, and that raised many eyebrows.
The Gunners boss came under enormous criticism at the time, but he stuck to his guns, kept his faith in Raya, and that has proved to be the right decision.
Now, the 30-year-old has become one of the best goalkeepers in world football and has consistently produced incredible performances between the sticks.
That wasn’t something many expected – not even Arteta.
“First of all, obviously, he’s been exceptional,” Arteta said, as per HaytersTV.
“His level of consistency since he joined the club has been something that probably nobody expected. Probably I didn’t expect it.
“I think he has reached a level that is incredibly high, and sometimes we take as normal some of the things that he does, but they’re not. He has responded in crucial moments.
“Obviously, I think the team deserves a lot of credit for that as well, because the work that everybody puts in in that phase for the third consecutive season to achieve that, I think, is remarkable.”
David Raya says he will go ‘bald’ if Arsenal win the Premier League. What will you do?
David Raya is the best goalkeeper in the world
Raya has been incredible for Arsenal for several years now.
The Spaniard has just won his third Golden Glove in a row and has conceded fewer goals than anyone else in the Champions League as well.
It is beyond doubt that Raya is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, but we are convinced that there is nobody better beyond the English top-flight either.
If Raya helps Arsenal win the Champions League this month, we think there will be no debate about him being the best in the world.
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