View: Two things Aaron Ramsdale did on pre-season tour of U.S. which forced Arsenal to push for David Raya

Arsenal are keen on signing Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, a move which would see the Spaniard challenge Aaron Ramsdale for the starting berth at the North London club.

The England international has been solid in goal for the Gunners since establishing himself as the first choice in September 2021, and fans were surprised when news broke earlier this week that Arsenal wanted to sign Raya.

The Spain international was one of the best goalies in the Premier League last term, and the Gunners would not be interested in snapping him up if they did not see him as being capable of becoming an upgrade on Ramsdale.

A report from The Athletic has suggested that Arsenal decided to move for Raya after two things Ramsdale did during their pre-season tour of the United States of America.

The Gunners suffered a 2-0 loss to Manchester United in New Jersey, and the 25-year-old was at fault for the first goal, when Bruno Fernandes’ shot went through him.

Ramsdale was only responsible for two errors leading to goals last term, but Arsenal cannot afford to be without fierce competition in such a position if they want to win titles and major silverware.

They want Raya because he is arguably better on the ball than Ramsdale.

The Englishman was also a little erratic during his goal kicks during the friendlies in the USA, and manager Mikel Arteta could be seen turning away in frustration when the ball had been sliced out of play — usually when Ramsdale attempted to play long to his right.

Raya has a futsal background, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp dubbed him as a “No 10” due to his pinpoint distribution after a game in September 2021.

The Gunners already have a squad two-deep in every outfield position, and replicating the same thing in goal would be huge.