Arsenal are now the ‘favourites’ to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya in the summer transfer window, according to a report from the Daily Telegraph.

Raya has already reportedly agreed terms with the Gunners – but this agreement is not official as of yet, with the transfer saga still ongoing.

Plenty of clubs have registered an interest in Raya’s services over the course of the summer – among them are Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

As things stand, however, the Gunners are leading the race to acquire Raya’s signature. Can they complete a deal for the Spanish shot-stopper?

How is David Raya different from Aaron Ramsdale?

David Raya and Aaron Ramsdale are very different goalkeepers. Raya is the better shot-stopper of the two – he made more saves than any other ‘keeper in the Premier League last season – while Ramsdale is a more intelligent, technically gifted ‘keeper.

As such, Raya will find his best use in games where Arsenal are expected to be on the back foot and need to absorb pressure from a superior outfit.

Meanwhile, Ramsdale will be better being deployed in games where the Gunners will have the lion’s share of possession, as his greater passing ability will allow them to control the game and play the ball out of defence more effectively.

Will David Raya be a good signing for Arsenal?

As mentioned earlier, Arsenal already have an excellent goalkeeper in the form of Aaron Ramsdale – they can also call upon Matt Turner, who is a perfectly fine deputy for the former Sheffield United and Bournemouth man.

With this being said, Turner did not play a single minute of Arsenal’s 2022/23 Premier League campaign – this seems to indicate that Mikel Arteta does not have much faith in the American’s ability to perform in important matches.

This may be unfair – Turner is by no means a poor goalkeeper, but on the other hand, he is also an inferior option when compared to Raya and Ramsdale.

Arsenal have congested fixture list on the horizon next season, with games in the Champions League beckoning. In any case, they will need to improve upon the depth of their squad – signing Raya would be an excellent way to do this.