Arsenal set to confirm £27 million agreement for ‘outstanding’ player after brilliant season

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• EXCLUSIVE from Graeme Bailey

Arsenal have been one of the top defensive sides in the Premier League this campaign and it looks like Mikel Arteta’s side are set to pull off an agreement to strengthen this further.

HITC Football understands that Arsenal and Brentford are set to confirm that an agreement has been reached between the two parties which would see goalkeeper David Raya move to the Emirates Stadium on a permanent deal.

After Aaron Ramsdale had a good season in North London during the 2022/23 campaign, Arteta was not convinced by the Englishman’s credentials and decided to pursue Raya to be the club’s new number one.

It was certainly a controversial decision by Mikel Arteta but one that worked out very well with the Gunners conceding just 29 goals in 38 Premier League games during the 2023/24 season.

Raya deal close

Personal terms between the two sides are understood to be in place as the Spaniard’s move to the Gunners, which was an initial loan deal, is set to become permanent.

HITC understands that Arsenal informed the Spanish goalkeeper at the turn of the year that he would be coming to the Emirates on a permanent deal having established himself as the club’s number one over Ramsdale.

The fee is understood to be £27 million and Arsenal will strengthen an area of the pitch which has seen other clubs struggle to improve on in recent seasons.

Raya has established himself as the obvious first team choice for the Gunners but the signing of the Spaniard could well spell the end of Ramsdale’s time at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal green-light Ramsdale deal

As the Gunners close in on the permanent signing of Raya, this will have a knock-on effect for Ramsdale with sources confirming that once the deal for the former Brentford goalkeeper is complete, the Englishman will be allowed to leave North London.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United are understood to be the team who are most interested in the 26-year-old following the injury issues sustained to Nick Pope.

Mikel Arteta is seemingly a big fan of Raya with the Spanish boss hailing the goalkeeper as ‘outstanding’ following his performance in the North London derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

“It became a game of chaos but we are lucky to have the keeper we have,” Arteta told BBC. He made an individual error but after that the way he played was outstanding. He was magnificent.

“David Raya stood up and took six, seven crosses and that is what we want, and if you are going to take risks you have that reaction – I am really proud of them.”