09 November 2023 , 22:56
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The agent of under-fire Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has shed light on the club's financial fair play issues but made clear the shot-stopper is loving life at the Emirates.
Raya was signed on loan from Brentford late on in the summer transfer window and soon dislodged Aaron Ramsdale as the Gunners' first-choice shot-stopper. After a bright enough start, a string of errors that have either directly led to goals or near-misses have in turn ramped up the scrutiny on Mikel Arteta's decision to bring Raya in.
However, Gunners fans shouldn't be surprised by Arteta's willingness to give Raya time to turn things around. The Arsenal boss has long been an admirer of the Spain international and even wanted to land his signature before opting for Ramsdale in the summer of 2021.
That is at least according to Raya's agent, Jaume Munell, who told AFTV: “Arsenal showed interest for the first time three years ago in 2021. They tried to buy him but Brentford didn’t want to sell him at any price. After they bought Aaron Ramsdale, that was an easier option, but David has always been the priority.
"This summer, he had just one year left on his contract with Brentford and Arsenal was the club that showed the most concrete interest and have always been our priority."
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Raya's current Arsenal contract is only a loan one, which means he'll be ruled out of the Gunners' first game back after the upcoming international break away at his parent club Brentford. That temporary deal is not to suggest the north Londoners aren't keen on keeping the Spaniard around in the long-term.
The goalkeeper's agent has since explained why he has not yet penned a permanent deal, citing Arsenal's own financial issues as the main reason. Munell added: “The formula of the deal is a loan with the option to buy. Arsenal had some Financial Fair Play issues and this is the reason why they haven’t bought him with permanent transfer.”
HAVE YOUR SAY!Should Arteta stick with Raya as Arsenal's No.1? Comment below
David Raya has struggled at the start of his Arsenal career (Arsenal)There has been some suggestion that Raya is struggling to cope with the white hot spotlight that comes with the territory of being Arsenal's No.1. Speaking last month, Arteta insisted that was not the case, claiming: "I haven’t seen that. I am sure I haven’t seen that at all.
"That’s the pressure of playing at a big club where you have to win, you have to be at your best level and you have someone alongside you who is pushing you every day.
"If we go player by player and position by position, you will say to me: ‘What’s happening at left-back? What’s happening with the holding midfielder?’ That’s the beauty of the game and that’s the debate as well. And the fact that you have other options is going to make all that talk more frequent."