Arsenal sold Matt Turner to Nottingham Forest and replaced him with David Raya because the goalkeeper was not pushing Aaron Ramsdale enough.
That is according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.
Arsenal recently signed David Raya and allowed Matt Turner to join Forest and speaking to GiveMeSport about Mikel Arteta’s thought process, Taylor said: “From what I understand, from the conversations I’ve had, I think the signing is more about the fact Turner wasn’t pushing Ramsdale enough, as opposed to the fact Arteta doesn’t rate Ramsdale.”
While Raya may prove to be a tougher rival than Turner for Ramsdale, the 25-year-old still appears to be Arsenal’s No.1 for the time being.
It was Ramsdale who got the nod to start in Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Crystal Palace on Monday and he will be hoping to retain his place for the Gunners’ next match versus Fulham at the Emirates.
David Raya a clear upgrade on Matt Turner
Raya was one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League last season. His save percentage of 77.7% was actually the highest in the division (FBref).
Turner has not had too many opportunities to prove himself but, on the surface, Raya looks like the superior shot-stopper.
Ultimately, with Arteta wanting a new goalkeeper, you can understand why he identified the Spain international as the man he was keen to bring in.
From Raya’s perspective, you can argue that his move to the Emirates does not make as much sense. There are obviously no guarantees that he is going to be a starter.
Proving to be one of the best No.1s in the top flight during the 2022/23 season, Raya is an improvement on Turner. But the man he has to oust is Ramsdale, which is a different kind of fight.
As for Forest’s new 29-year-old goalkeeper, he will just be hoping that he can get some game time in the Premier League and show everyone what he can do.
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