Is David Raya homegrown? Many have asked on Google as Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham target a move for the Brentford glovesman.
It was the Telegraph who revealed that Erik ten Hag, Graham Potter and Antonio Conte are all interested in the Spain international, who will have just 12 months remaining on his contract at the end of the season.
Brentford are said to value their No.1 at £20m.
With Premier League rules stating that no club in England’s top-flight can have more than 17 non-homegrown players in their squads, people have been wondering about the Brentford No.1’s situation.
So, is David Raya homegrown? Let’s take a look…
Is David Raya homegrown?
Well, the 27-year-old was born in Barcelona, so at first glance, it would seem he is not a homegrown player.
However, there is a twist.
Raya actually moved to Blackburn from Cornellà on a scholarship back in July 2012 at the age of 17, before signing a professional contract in 2014.
Therefore, he qualifies as a homegrown player. Footballers must play for a FA-affiliated club for three years before turning 21 in order to meet the criteria.
That is why Hector Bellerin and Paul Pogba, who grew up in Arsenal and Manchester United’s academies, qualify as homegrown, despite being born in Spain and France respectively.
Why is this important, you may ask?
Well, as mentioned above, the Premier League only allow for 17 non-homegrown players in a 25-man squad. As things stand, Manchester United and Tottenham have 15 and 14 non-homegrown players, as per the Premier League’s official website.
As a result of signing Mykhaylo Mudryk, Joao Felix, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos, Chelsea have already gone over the limit, and will need to make some sales before registering all five.
Some also wondered if Pedro Porro – a target for Tottenham and Chelsea – qualifies as homegrown due to his time in the Manchester City academy.
However, the Spain international didn’t play for Manchester City for three years before turning 21, so he was not granted homegrown status.
David Raya profile
Full name: David Raya Martín
Age: 27
Height: 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Date of birth: 15th September 1995
Nationality: Spain
Place of birth: Barcelona
Club: Brentford
Position: Goalkeeper
Salary: £25,000-a-week
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