Chelsea have been given fresh hope of signing the perfect replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga in the summer – David Raya. The 27-year-old goalkeeper has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge this season following his impressive performances for Brentford.
Raya, who sees his contract with the Bees expire next summer, has featured 35 times for Thomas Frank's side in the Premier League this term, keeping 10 clean sheets. The Spain international's eye-catching displays have reportedly caught the attention of numerous top clubs in Europe, with the Blues being one.
football.london understands that Tottenham are in the market for a new shot-stopper as they look for the long-term successor to Hugo Lloris, and Raya is one of several goalkeepers on their shortlist. According to The Telegraph, Spurs are also joined by Chelsea and Manchester United in the race to sign the Spaniard.
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Raya faces an increasingly uncertain future at Brentford ahead of the upcoming transfer window, and Frank has conceded that his goalkeeper could leave. The Bees boss said: "There is no doubt David is a case where there is one year left and we will see what will happen.
"We are very happy with David here, everybody knows he is a £40million-plus goalkeeper if anyone is interested. There is a possibility he will maybe leave this summer for the right price. If that happens we need to be prepared like we are at left-back, right-back, striker."
With Brentford leaving the door open to a bid for Raya, Chelsea have been presented the perfect opportunity to sign the perfect replacement for Kepa. While the Blues shot-stopper has shown signs of improvement this season, he's still struggled to warrant his record-breaking price tag.
Kepa has impressed with his reflex saves and ability to play out from the back, but his inability to stop long range efforts have raised significant concerns. The Chelsea ace also struggles to command his area, unlike Alisson and Thibaut Courtois.
While Raya isn't much of an upgrade on Kepa with regard to his physical build, the Brentford star will arrive with plenty of confidence and turn a new page at Chelsea. The Blues are in desperate need of a clean slate and starting afresh between the sticks.
However, the Blues might have to pull out all the stops to beat United and Tottenham to Raya's signature. In February, the Spaniard told to The Athletic that he had turned down two new contract offers from the Bees, claiming that he wants to play in Europe.
"I want to focus on playing games and not think too much about my future," said Raya. "I have a contract here, so I'm willing to finish that, but you never know what's going to happen in the summer.
"Maybe the club wants to sell, maybe not. Maybe I want to stay. I want to focus on football and see what happens. The club will decide the price and if a club wants to pay money, that will be it. I'm not worried about that. I'm not in charge of that."
"I want to play in Europe and I want to fight to win a title," he added. "I want to fight to win a European title. I trust myself to be able to play in those types of games."
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