Arteta jokes Raya can play in Spain 'on the beach' but not yet
David Raya has revealed he would love to test himself in La Liga one day, and Mikel Arteta has responded with a cheeky message of his own: not any time soon.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, the Arsenal goalkeeper was asked about his ambitions to one day play in his homeland having spent his entire professional career in England. His answer was unambiguous.
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"Yes, I would love to. I would love to try out La Liga. For now, I'm very happy here [at Arsenal], but I would certainly like to experience the Spanish league," Raya said. "I think it's a very competitive league. Perhaps, in the future, I could play for a Spanish club. I'm Spanish and I'd love to play there, that's for sure."
Asked about the comments, Arteta offered a light hearted but firm response. "I think David has to play in Spain at some point, on the beach with his friends in the summer but for the next few years he needs to play here for Arsenal," the Arsenal boss said.
Raya's rise at Arsenal
Born in Catalonia, Raya moved to Lancashire as a 16 year old on scholarship terms with Blackburn Rovers, having first gone out on loan to Non-League side Southport before making 98 appearances for Rovers' first team. He later joined Brentford in 2019 and arrived at Arsenal in an initial loan deal worth £27million that became permanent, eventually ousting Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal's first choice goalkeeper.
Since then, Raya has become an integral figure in north London. His performances last season helped Arsenal win their first Premier League title in 22 years and reach the Champions League final in Budapest. He is under contract at the Emirates Stadium until 2028.
The 31 year old's individual recognition has also grown. He is nominated for the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper in the world, and is expected to attend Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony in London. He was also part of Spain's World Cup winning squad in North America, though he did not feature on the pitch.
Crediting his coach
Speaking on the Beyond The Box Podcast, Raya reflected on his development at Blackburn, crediting goalkeeping coach John Keeley for believing in him from the start.
"I don't know what, but he saw something in me since the first day," Raya said. "He took me to Portugal with the first team when I was 17, for no reason. I think he saw something in me that not all the people saw. He put a lot of work into me, and he was one of the reasons I went on loan, why I made my debut, why I started the following season as number one. He believed in me and I always have a lot to thank him for. Without him, I don't think I would have made my debut."
For now, Raya's focus remains firmly on Arsenal, with his long term future at the club secured well beyond this season.
