Arteta jokes Raya can play in Spain 'on the beach with his friends'
David Raya has admitted he would love to play in La Liga one day, but Mikel Arteta has made it clear the goalkeeper's immediate future lies firmly in north London.
Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca, Raya was asked whether he harboured any ambition to test himself in his homeland having spent his entire professional career in England. His answer left little doubt that the idea appeals to him, even if it is not something on his mind right now.
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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."
Arteta's response
When asked about Raya's comments, Arteta responded with a light hearted but pointed message about where he expects his number one to be focused for the foreseeable future.
"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, who was born in Catalonia before moving to Lancashire with Blackburn Rovers as a 16 year old scholar, is contracted to Arsenal until 2028. There is nothing in his comments to suggest any desire to leave before then, with the goalkeeper stressing he is very happy at the club.
A key figure for club and country
Raya has become one of the most important players in Arteta's squad since arriving from Brentford in a deal worth £27million, initially on loan before being made permanent. He won the battle for the number one shirt from Aaron Ramsdale and has not looked back since.
His performances last season played a significant role in Arsenal winning their first Premier League title in 22 years, as well as reaching the Champions League final in Budapest. He was also part of Spain's World Cup winning squad in North America over the summer, albeit without playing a minute.
That form has earned Raya a nomination for the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper in the world, with the 31 year old expected to attend Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony in London.
Speaking on the Beyond The Box Podcast, Raya also reflected on his development at Blackburn, crediting goalkeeping coach John Keeley for believing in him early in 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... 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 to run on his contract, Raya is set to remain Arsenal's first choice goalkeeper for the foreseeable future, regardless of any long term ambitions to sample life in La Liga.
