David Raya says Brentford “need to let me go” amid interest in the goalkeeper from Tottenham and Manchester United.
Spurs are the frontrunners to sign the 27-year-old, who Brentford value at £40million, and have agreed personal terms with the player. Spurs are looking to replace outgoing captain Hugo Lloris this summer and the clubs remain in negotiations over a free.
Raya is out of contract next summer, and while Brentford have already signed his replacement in Mark Flekken, his agent Jaume Munell says his client is prepared to stick around and leave on a free next summer if the Bees do not lower their asking price.
“I know there are rumours about me leaving,” Raya said in an interview with The Times. “There are some options for me to go but obviously Brentford are asking for a lot of money.
“That could make clubs not want to buy me, it could make them look somewhere else. But if that’s the value they give me then it’s up to them. I have a year left on my contract and until then I’m a Brentford player, there’s nothing I can do.
“I have ambitions to make the next step in my career. I want to try to win titles and to compete in Europe in the next couple of years. I’m 27 now and I feel like I’m at the point in my career when I want to make that step up. There are options out there but it’s not just my ambitions, the club also needs to let me go.”
“I’m a professional,” he said. “If I end up staying at Brentford I will always give my all, that’s my job. If I have to stay, I’ll try to have an even better season than last season.”
Raya, who could win the Nations League with Spain on Sunday if they beat Croatia in the final, moved to England when he was 15 to join the Blackburn Rovers academy. He would therefore count as homegrown under Premier League rules.
