Morning.
So, we made our first official signing of the summer season yesterday, as David Raya joined on a everlasting foundation after spending final season on mortgage from Brentford. The payment is round £27m, and his contract will run for 4 years – till 2028, at which level he’ll be 32, nonetheless comparatively younger within the lifetime of a goalkeeper.
Then once more, he does need to carry on the fitting aspect of a supervisor who does love a goalkeeper signing.
Talking to the official web site, the boss stated:
David confirmed us final season what an vital participant he’s for us, so we’re delighted he’s now formally our participant. He’s an enormous presence in our dressing room and we’re actually happy to maintain working with him.
We all know he’ll take the robust foundations he put in place final season and construct on them within the years to come back, and that he’ll take pleasure in extra success with us. Now we have a really proficient group of goalkeepers and I like to see connections just like the one I see in our goalkeeping unit.
It was clear fairly rapidly final season that Raya was introduced in to be the #1, regardless of Arteta’s uncharacteristically clumsy feedback about ‘timeshare goalkeepers’, and though he had some wobbles right here and there (principally in the beginning), he performed an enormous half in our season, so let’s hope there’s much more to come back over the approaching years.
And whereas this deal will not be a shock in any respect, it does convey into the highlight the Aaron Ramsdale state of affairs. He’s away with England, after all, however he gained’t wish to spend one other season on the bench, so it’ll be fascinating to see what occurs with him. Some will say Arsenal are in a robust place as a result of he has a long-term contract, however the deal he signed final May additionally made him probably the greatest paid keepers within the Premier League, in order that’s a difficulty in relation to discovering a brand new membership. What number of golf equipment can afford these wages? Not too many, so it may be a case he goes on mortgage with the hope {that a} good season wherever he performs generates a bit extra curiosity than there may be proper now.
The opposite query is what number of golf equipment are out there for a top-level keeper this summer season? There would possibly should be just a few items shifting right here and there earlier than the fitting transfer comes lengthy, so we’ll wait and see how that one performs out.
In the meantime, Arteta did a really fascinating interview with James Olley of ESPN from the Marbella coaching camp, and was requested about his contract. He has lower than a yr left, however sounded a constructive notice, saying:
Issues occur in a pure means and our relationship is that good that I don’t predict any points occurring. However issues need to develop in the fitting means and it’ll occur. The main focus now’s, ‘OK, how we will enhance issues across the crew, how we will enhance now the issues within the switch window that we’ve.’ Now we have time to take a seat down and talk about that.
And on the plans for the switch window, he was as opaque as you may think, quick on specifics, however made it clear he needs to enhance the squad:
We need to enhance in each doable division. With the brand new rules, there are particular issues we’ve to respect and take heed to after which clearly the Euros and Copa America are slowing all the things down. Hopefully now it’s going to decide up just a little bit.
There are issues that we’ve to enhance, that’s for certain and we’re going to attempt to. However the market is hard. Now we have been very aggressive, we’re very decided and we’ve a transparent thought clearly of what we wish to do. It’s going to come all the way down to discovering the fitting agreements on the proper time.
A event summer season is all the time harder than others, and I do sense just a little nervousness amongst Arsenal followers – maybe tied to the truth that a participant we targetted (Sekso) determined towards making a transfer. Nevertheless, I believe the best way we’ve performed our enterprise over the previous couple of summers, each by way of high quality of participant and timing (for probably the most half), ought to reassure those who we’ll be capable of do the offers we would like. Who? When? Your guess is nearly as good as mine, however with somebody like Arteta, you’ll be able to think about how onerous he’s pushing behind the scenes for the optimum consequence, so let’s wait and see.
Proper, I’ll go away it there for now. There’s a brand new Arsecast so that you can hearken to under, chatting about Riccardo Calafiori and much extra with Phil Costa. Take pleasure in.
