Arsenal make Raya's loan move from Brentford permanent

LONDON (AP) — English Premier League runner-up Arsenal signed goalkeeper David Raya on a long-term contract on Thursday after he did well on loan from Brentford last season.

Arsenal announced the signing on X without giving further details.

The 28-year-old Spaniard made 41 appearances in all competitions, keeping 20 clean sheets. Sixteen were in the Premier League and earned him the Golden Glove award.

“After a year on loan as a Gunner, I can finally say that I’m an Arsenal player for the coming years," Raya said. “It’s a dream come true to be here.”

After taking the No. 1 jersey from Aaron Ramsdale, he became a key player for Mikel Arteta's side as it narrowly missed out on winning the Premier League for the first time since 2004, finishing just two points behind Manchester City. Arsenal also reached the Champions League quarterfinals, losing to Bayern Munich 3-2 on aggregate.

“David showed us last season what an important player he is for us, so we are delighted he is now officially our player. He is a big presence in our dressing room," Arteta said. "We have a very talented group of goalkeepers and I love to see connections like the one I see in our goalkeeping unit.”

Raya saved two kicks in the penalty shootout win against Porto in the round of 16 as Arsenal reached the last eight of the competition for the first time in 14 years.

Raya has made six international appearances for Spain and earned a reputation as a sweeper-keeper with excellent distribution, although sometimes his penchant for passing has put his defense under pressure.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer