Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes the signing of David Raya was “a necessity” and will boost the competitive nature of his side as they build to battle for trophies this season.
The loan signing of Brentford goalkeeper Raya was confirmed on Tuesday, with the Spaniard coming in as a direct competitor for current first choice shot stopper Aaron Ramsdale. The 27-year-old’s transfer to north London has received mixed opinions from pundits, but has been welcomed with open arms from Arsenal fans.
The Gunners face London rivals Crystal Palace on Monday as they look to build on their opening day victory over Nottingham Forest, and Arteta is adamant the signing of Raya was needed to take his side to another level.
“It’s not a gamble, it’s a necessity,” Arteta said. “There is no other way. We were here last season, but the difference between tier one and what you call tier two players is too big.
“When you see the other squads, where they have two very good goalkeepers, they spend £80m, £60m, £85m on goalkeepers.
“We have to create that environment. It’s not a competition, it’s to raise the level and the demands that we are going to be facing.”
Ramsdale currently holds the starting berth for the Gunners, and is expected to continue as Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper. The 25-year-old has been a valuable asset to the club since his arrival, with his shot stopping and distribution notable qualities.
Raya’s signing represents a situation similar to when Ramsdale first signed for Arsenal in 2021, when he was tasked with battling it out with now Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno for the number one role.
Arteta was not surprised by the England goalkeeper’s reaction to the signing of Raya and has been delighted with the relationship the two have already formed in a short space of time, despite both their intentions being to start ahead of the other.
“Very positive, the way I see them training. I saw a training session they did the other day and it was fantastic.
“The connection that they have straightaway is really good. But this is something that doesn’t surprise me. It’s something I expect from players.
“If the reaction is that he doesn’t want to be better, then I would be worried, because it would mean we hadn’t created the environment that we want at this club.
“We are going to keep building a better squad. That is what the game is going to require, what the Premier League and Champions League are going to require. It’s very simple.”
Raya is expected to feature in Arsenal’s match day squad for the first time on Monday, whilst Jurrien Timber has been ruled out for a prolonged period after sustaining an ACL injury.
