Arteta jokes Raya can play in Spain 'on the beach' but not yet
Mikel Arteta has addressed David Raya's admission that he would like to play in La Liga one day, insisting the goalkeeper's immediate future remains at Arsenal.
Raya, speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, was asked whether he harboured any ambition to test himself in Spain having spent his entire professional career in England. His answer left little room for doubt about where his long term interest lies.
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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 relaxed but pointed response, making clear the goalkeeper's priority remains north London for the time being.
"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," Arteta said.
Raya's rise at Arsenal
Born in Catalonia, Raya moved to Lancashire with Blackburn Rovers on scholarship terms at just 16 years old. After a loan spell at Non-League Southport, he went on to make 98 appearances for Rovers' first team before joining Brentford in 2019.
His move to Arsenal arrived as an initial loan that turned into a permanent £27million transfer, and he has since gone on to oust Aaron Ramsdale as the club's first choice goalkeeper. Raya's performances played a significant role in Arsenal's first Premier League title in 22 years last season, and he also helped the club reach the Champions League final in Budapest.
He is under contract at Arsenal until 2028 and remains a key figure in Arteta's squad. On Monday, Raya is expected to attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London after being nominated for the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the world's best goalkeeper.
World Cup winner and a nod to his roots
Raya was part of Spain's World Cup winning squad in North America over the summer, though he did not feature on the pitch. Speaking separately to the Beyond The Box Podcast, the 31 year old credited former Blackburn goalkeeping coach John Keeley for shaping his career.
"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."
With three years still remaining on his contract, Raya looks set to remain Arsenal's No.1 for the foreseeable future, with any move to La Liga appearing to be a conversation for another day.
