David Raya explains decision to join Arsenal

David Raya has explained his decision to sign for Arsenal on loan from Brentford, stating that he “couldn’t say no” to the move.

The goalkeeper officially joined the Gunners on a season-long loan on Tuesday, and 90min understands that the club retain the option to buy the player outright upon the expiration of the loan for £30m next summer.

Raya had plenty of suitors during the transfer window with Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur also retaining an interest in the player, but they did not want to meet Brentford’s asking price and he ultimately made the move to the Emirates Stadium.

Speaking to his new club’s official website in his first interview as an Arsenal player, Raya explained the move, saying: “I’m over the moon to be able to take this challenge in my career and make the step up.

“I’m really excited to get going and see how the season ends up. I spoke to the boss and he sent me the values of what Arsenal are about. 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 [Mikel] 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 will likely start out as the second choice goalkeeper at Arsenal, fighting with current number one Aaron Ramsdale for the starting berth in Mikel Arteta’s team.