Arsenal have signed Spanish goalkeeper David Raya on a season-long loan from Brentford with the option to make the move permanent.
Raya, 27, will provide competition for England keeper Aaron Ramsdale and has taken the number 22 shirt.
He has also signed a new two-year contract with Brentford to ensure the deal could be completed quickly.
“I’m over the moon to be able to take this challenge in my career and make the step up,” Raya said.
Brentford director of football Phil Giles explained Raya’s contract extension was a “fall-back position” in the event that the transfer did not become permanent but said he was “not expecting to see Raya back at Brentford”.
“I’m sure the first question that all Brentford fans will ask is why this transfer has been structured as an initial loan with Arsenal having the option to make it permanent in the future,” Giles told Brentford’s website.
“The answer to that is simply that it enables this deal to be done more rapidly between both clubs, with all parties wanting to make this a permanent transfer as soon as practically possible, whenever that might be.”
Barcelona-born Raya joined Blackburn as a 16-year-old in July 2012 where he went on to make 108 appearances in all competitions.
He signed for Brentford in July 2018 for a fee in the region of £3m and was a key part of the Bees side which won promotion to the Premier League in 2021.
He kept 11 Premier League clean sheets last season as the Bees finished ninth.
Raya acknowledged Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s blueprint for the Gunners was integral to his decision to join the club.
“I spoke to the boss and he sent me the values of what Arsenal are about,” he added.
“The way that the club is going, it’s growing even more so it is a beautiful challenge to take and I couldn’t say no.
“I’ve seen Arsenal a lot for a lot of years and since [Arteta] came he’s made a massive difference to the style of play and to the club.
“The way the team plays out of the back, being confident and taking possession to the other team is the main thing why I fit into the team. I’m going to try and help as much as possible and we’ll see what happens.”
Raya made a total of 161 appearances for Brentford and made his international debut for Spain against Albania in March 2022.
Arsenal sporting director Edu added: “David is a top-quality goalkeeper, who has consistently performed to a high level with Brentford in the Premier League.
“With David joining us we are adding quality and depth to our squad so we can perform at the highest possible level in all competitions.”
Source: BBC
