CHELSEA "CONSIDERING" MOVE FOR "EXCEPTIONAL" £40M GOALKEEPER

Chelsea are “considering” a move to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya this summer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is David Raya leaving Brentford?

The Spaniard will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window will be Thomas Frank’s final big opportunity to cash in should he not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and an exit is likely after his boss admitted that he’s worried he’ll lose his number one, not to mention they have just signed his possible replacement in the form of Mark Flekken.

The Bees shot-stopper has been attracting interest from the Blues and Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and it sounds like he’s keen to secure a big-money move elsewhere with his agent, Futbol21Pro’s Jaume Munell, having warned that should their client’s £40m price tag not be lowered, then he will see out his deal and leave for nothing in 2024.

Are Chelsea signing Raya?

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs revealed that Chelsea are weighing up an official approach for Raya, with Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino both on the hunt for a new first-choice goalkeeper. He wrote:

“Thomas Frank has again reiterated that David Raya can leave for £40m. Chelsea and Spurs both considering him. Villa could also look if they lose Emi Martinez. Whether or not Brentford get such a large fee remains to be seen. Suitors feel the price is too high.”

Should Chelsea cash out on Raya?

Chelsea are reportedly open to offers for Edouard Mendy this summer after falling below Kepa Arrizabalaga in the pecking order, and with the owner searching for a fresh long-term first-choice between the sticks, Raya could be the perfect successor having been hailed “exceptional” by journalist Sam Dean.

The World Cup participant kept 12 clean sheets in the top-flight last season which saw him receive three man-of-the-match awards, not to mention that he ranks in the 94th percentile for crosses stopped so isn’t afraid to come out and claim the ball to clear the danger.

The 6 foot 1 colossus, who appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation, also recorded a total of 154 saves over the course of the campaign which was higher than any other goalkeeper in the division, giving him a success percentage of 77.7%.

Finally, Raya has a strong range of passing having completed 131 of 135 short range passes and 463 of 473 medium range passes, as per FBRef, so he's a very well-rounded shot-stopper and one that could fit perfectly into Pochettino's squad.

2023-06-02T06:41:15Z dg43tfdfdgfd