David Raya is eager to make his loan move to Arsenal permanent after insisting his relationship with fellow goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is “very healthy”.
Arsenal paid Brentford £3million to take Raya on loan this summer and they can make the deal permanent this summer if they pay a further £27m.
And, asked by The Athletic if he would seal the deal now if given the chance, Raya said: “Yes, I would have done it yesterday [if I could].”
The Spaniard has come in and become the Gunners’ new No1, with Ramsdale’s only appearance over the last month coming in the Carabao Cup. Despite that, Raya insists the pair get on well and there has been no animosity between them.
“The relationship? It’s very good,” said Raya. “At the end of the day, we are mates, which is the important thing. We have a very healthy relationship. There are no problems.
“We push each other every day in training: when he’s a little bit down, I push him, and when I’m a little bit down [he does the same].
“We train three goalkeepers, four at the most, for hours a week, and you need that kind of relationship because otherwise, the training is not going to go well.
“Arteta gives me the confidence to be there, that he wanted to have two top players in each position, and it was up to me to find the time and fight to get the minutes.”
Arteta has stressed he does not have a set No1 and that the goalkeepers could be rotated. He has even floated the idea of substituting a goalkeeper during a match.
“If there are rotations, as there are in any position, I’m going to help on and off the pitch,” said Raya.
“I had a few conversations with Mikel before making the signing because it was complicated, the financial issue and so on.
“He was one of the coaches I wanted to work with, his philosophy, how he has transformed Arsenal with the way he has played and it was very important to have him as a coach.”
