Spurs want Brentford man to replace clumsy star but face fierce Chelsea, Man United competition
Brentford goalkeeper David Raya is attracting interest from Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea, according to reports.
Raya has been excellent for the Bees since they earned promotion to the Premier League.
His ball-playing ability is tremendous and certainly makes him a very desirable player for top clubs.
It is no surprise to see United and Spurs register an interest given David de Gea and Hugo Lloris’ frailties with the ball at their feet.
Chelsea No. 1 Edouard Mendy has been out of form since winning the African Cup of Nations with Senegal last year, meaning Graham Potter could be on the search for a new goalkeeper.
The north Londoners are not looking to sign a new goalkeeper this month but it is definitely on the agenda with Lloris turning 36 on Boxing Day.
As well as Raya, Spurs are looking at England and Everton No. 1 Jordan Pickford.
The Brentford shot-stopper enters the final year of his contract next season and could be open to a move to a bigger club.
At the age of 27, Raya can potentially star for a club playing European football for the best part of a decade.
And with Spurs eyeing a move, The Telegraph are now reporting that Manchester United and Chelsea have joined the race.
It is said that Raya ‘could be at the centre of a tug-of-war’ to secure his signature after ‘consistently impressing’ for Brentford.
The Bees may look to cash in on the Spain international in the summer with his contract expiring in 18 months.
The report states that Raya may cost £15-20million, which would be a bloody good deal.
Chelsea will ‘assess their goalkeeping options’ at the end of the season after Mendy lost his place in goal to Kepa Arrizabalaga.
United, on the other hand, will spend depending on what European competition they qualify for. A place in the Champions League will see Erik ten Hag’s budget significantly rise.
The Red Devils are currently in talks with De Gea over a new contract on a lower salary, meaning he will lose his spot as the club’s highest earner.
Ten Hag has certainly improved the Spaniard, but there are still many questions about his consistency and distribution.
Arsenal made a £10m bid to sign Raya in 2020, but Brentford turned it down. The Gunners went on to sign Aaron Ramsdale a year later.
Speaking last season, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp waxed lyrical about Raya’s ability with the ball.
He said: “He should have a No 10 on his back, with the balls he played.”
Discussing the praise from Klopp and where his impressive footwork comes from, the 27-year-old told AS: “From a very young age, on Sundays I used to meet my friends to play on a futsal court that was in a park next to my house and I played a lot as a player.
“I was not bad at it and since then I have felt very comfortable with the ball at my feet.”
Raya also revealed that he followed Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United as a kid.
Asked if he fancies a new challenge at club level, he said: “Every player has goals and wants to improve. Now I am focused on my team and in the summer we will see what happens.”
On his contract situation, Raya said: “If they want to do business they will have to do it but there is a long season left and I am only focused on doing it well. In summer we will assess my situation.”
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