Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp once praised Arsenal target keeper David Raya’s technical excellence with his feet, saying: ‘The goalkeeper could wear the No10 shirt.’

— Layth (@laythy29) August 9, 2023

Arsenal have agreed a deal worth close to £30m for Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, who is expected to complete a move to the Emirates Stadium in time for the new Premier League season.

The deepest of deep-lying playmakers, Raya attempted 300 more passes than any other goalkeeper in the Championship during 2020-21 and continued to pull the strings following Brentford's promotion to the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp reserved special praise for the Spanish stopper after Liverpool played the Bees: "The goalkeeper could wear the number ten shirt,” he said. High praise indeed.

Raya’s arrival will mean the Gunners will have landed a long-term target - after making numerous bids for the Spain international in the summer of 2020.

However, they could not reach an agreement with Brentford at that time, as the Bees were aiming to secure promotion from the Championship.

Fast forward 36 months and Mikel Arteta and Edu appear to have finally got their man after the Bees dropped their original asking price of £40m beaering in mind the shotstopper has entered the firnal year of his contract.

All parties are understood to be satisfied with the numbers, with the West London outfit achieving a significant return on a player who cost them £2.7m when he signed from Blackburn back in 2019.