Arsenal are preparing to open talks with David Raya over a new long-term contract as they seek to secure the future of Mikel Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Raya’s current deal runs until 2028, so the club are under no immediate pressure to reach an agreement. However, the Spain international has said he would like to play in La Liga at some point in his career.
Arsenal plan talks with David Raya
Arsenal are expected to discuss extending Raya’s contract beyond 2028, according to Football Insider. The 31-year-old has indicated that he is “very happy” at the club, while also acknowledging his ambition to play in his homeland.
There is not believed to be any concern at Arsenal over an imminent departure. Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider said the goalkeeper’s current status meant the club were unlikely to be alarmed by his comments.
“I don’t think Arsenal will be too concerned. He’s under contract until 2028 and I’m sure they probably will look to sit down and discuss a new deal with him because he’s the undisputed number one under Arteta, and I think he will be for the foreseeable future,” O’Rourke said.
Raya has strengthened his position with a series of consistent performances. He has kept five clean sheets in eight Premier League appearances this season and saved 73.7 per cent of the shots he has faced.
He also won the Premier League Save of the Month award in September after stopping Enzo Le Fée’s penalty against Sunderland. It was the fourth time he had received the award.
Why Arsenal want to retain Raya
Since arriving from Brentford, Raya has become an important part of Arsenal’s possession-based approach. His distribution and willingness to operate outside the penalty area have complemented his work as a shot-stopper, while successive Golden Glove awards have underlined his consistency.
His Champions League figures this season include two clean sheets from three matches, seven saves and a passing accuracy of 77.34 per cent.
There would be some risk in offering a lengthy extension to a goalkeeper approaching 32, but Raya’s performances have given Arsenal an incentive to act before he enters the final 18 months of his existing agreement.
His desire to experience La Liga is not considered an immediate threat to his Arsenal future, but extending his contract would give the club greater security over one of the key positions in Arteta’s team.
