Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham have all shown interest in the Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, who will enter the final year of his contract this summer.
The 27-year-old Spaniard has yet to agree new terms at Brentford and is likely to be available for a reduced price if no new deal is signed before next season. He has publicly been coy about his future and the potential for a bargain has alerted several of the Premier League’s top clubs, who have long tracked his role in Brentford’s rise to eighth in the division.
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Spurs, in particular, need a successor to the 36-year-old Hugo Lloris while United have not yet secured fresh terms with David de Gea, whose current deal has five months to run.
Chelsea have their own conundrums to solve: Édouard Mendy is yet to agree a contract extension while Kepa Arrizabalaga’s long-term status remains uncertain. Raya’s capacity to distribute the ball from the back has few parallels in the top flight and his potential availability is attractive to all three clubs, who have all enquired about the player’s situation.
Arsenal showed firm interest in signing Raya in 2020 but Brentford rejected multiple bids of around £10m and eventually the league leaders moved on.
Raya signed a new deal at Brentford, who were subsequently promoted from the Championship, and his potential sale value increased significantly. The keeper who began his professional career at Blackburn has since become a full international for Spain. There has been little indication he will further extend his commitment to Thomas Frank’s side and a battle for his services is likely at the end of the campaign.
One potential replacement for Raya at Brentford is the QPR goalkeeper, Seny Dieng, whose contract runs until 2024. The Senegal international, who was part of the World Cup squad in Qatar, is also being monitored by Spurs and Brighton.
Additional reporting by Will Unwin
