In an effort to provide competition in every position, Arsenal is still being linked to another expensive summer addition.
What is David Raya’s net worth?
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano provided an update on David Raya’s future, Mikel Arteta’s interest, and his high asking price on Twitter. This information is the most recent on the Gunners’ pursuit of David Raya.
He stated:
As the player prefers Arsenal over Bayern as a destination, it is understood that Arsenal has contacted David Raya’s camp to begin salary negotiations. No issues with Raya exist at this time, but the key discussion will be between the clubs because Brentford has insisted on a £40 million fee.
FootballTransfers values the Brentford starting quarterback at €11.8 million (£10 million), which is considerably less than the hyped amount.
David Raya: How good is he?
Adding such an outstanding ball-player and shot-stopper would strengthen a backline that is already skilled at playing out from the back. Since it is a component of Arteta’s entire philosophy and would not exist without it, his system would be useless.
As a result, a large portion of his team has been developed with that in mind, moulding young players into that mould and bringing in stars who can fit in easily.
William Saliba represented a fusion of the two as he joined in 2019 for an eye-watering £27 million fee but was later loaned back to France before experiencing his breakthrough season most recently.
The 22-year-old returned to the Emirates and played a significant role there after being transformed into the ideal center-back for such a system, but his outstanding season was cut short by a back injury.
Prior to that, according to Sofascore, he had maintained an average rating of 6.96 in the Premier League thanks to his 91% pass accuracy, 90% dribble success, 1.3 tackles per game, and three clearances. In what was essentially his first season, he was among the top ten performers at the club and had the second-best clearance rate.
These were numbers that undoubtedly reverberated throughout the continent, as he ranks in the top 7% of Europeans in his role for pass completion per 90.
Jermaine Jenas, a pundit, praised the young player for having such a skill: “But I have to give it to William Saliba because he’s really impressed me. He has been confident on the ball and has directed events from the back. He is a different class, and he has been playing in different gear the entire time.
These two could form one of the best ball-playing center-back-to-goalkeeper combinations if they combined such excellence in possession with the safety Raya would offer.
After all, Jurgen Klopp claimed that the 27-year-old superstar might perform better “wearing the No 10 shirt” because of his passing range. Not to mention that he combined that with 4.1 league-average saves per game last season, with a 77% success rate. His Bees team still had the fifth-best defence in the division despite making the most saves.
In fact, he ranks in the top 6% for touches per 90 in the league while also posting an admirable 61% pass accuracy when compared to others in his position across Europe.
Back in 2021, Thomas Frank sought to support the assertions of his countryman by observing:
One of our top three performers this season has been David Raya. He hasn’t had a blemish. Despite my bias, I believe he is a really good custodian.
He might be able to advance to the next level now and star for the Gunners while also supporting a defence that prioritises moving the ball forward.
