Arsenal seal permanent David Raya signing as Mikel Arteta makes subtle Ramsdale comment

David Raya has expressed his delight at signing a permanent deal with Arsenal, describing it as a “dream come true”.

The 28-year old-Spanish goalkeeper, who was on loan from Brentford last season, has now secured a permanent move to the Gunners after a £30m-plus option was put in place.

Raya, who replaced fan favourite Aaron Ramsdale as the club’s No 1, won over supporters by securing the Premier League Golden Glove, keeping 16 league clean sheets and making a total of 41 appearances across all competitions. He became a hero when he starred in the penalty shoot-out victory over Porto in the Champions League.

Raya said: “After a year on loan as a Gunner, I can finally say that I’m an Arsenal player for the coming years. I’m excited to see what the future holds but always living in and enjoying the present. It’s a dream come true to be here and I want to thank you for all the support you have already given me throughout the last year.”

Sporting director Edu added: “David had a beautiful first season with us, winning the Premier League Golden Glove. He is a talented international, a great professional and a popular figure at the club.

“We benefited from all of this last season during his loan with us. David’s signing is another strong example of our recruitment strategy in action, as we continue to build a team that will challenge for major trophies. We know there’s so much more to come from him and we are excited that he will continue to be a big part of the journey we are all on.”

Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, expressed his delight at retaining Raya, stating: “David showed us last season what an important player he is for us, so we are delighted he is now officially our player.”

Arteta went onto discuss Arsenal’s current keeping unit, making note of the strength in depth with Ramsdale playing back-up to Raya. “He is a big presence in our dressing-room and we are really pleased to keep working with him. We know he will take the strong foundations he put in place last season and build on them in the years to come, and that he will enjoy more success with us.

“We have a very talented group of goalkeepers and I love to see connections like the one I see in our goalkeeping unit.”

However, despite having three years left on his deal, Ramsdale could be set to depart from the club this summer after losing his status as first choice, with Newcastle, Chelsea and others showing interest.