David Raya Arsenal Emirates Stadium
Arsenal Emirates Stadium
La Liga giants Real and Atletico Madrid have been linked with Arsenal keeper David Raya and the Gunners are slowly starting to realise that they might end up losing their goalkeeper.
David Raya has been one of the more consistent goalkeepers in Europe this season and his impressive performances have caught the attention of the two Madrid sides. Real Madrid want to sign him as a replacement for Thibaut Courtois whose contract expires in 2026 while Diego Simeone is eyeing the Spanish keeper as the long-term successor to Jan Oblak.
Up until now, Arsenal had been confident of holding onto David Raya but according to the latest report, the Gunners are planning to bring back Emiliano Martinez should they lose Raya.
Martinez had left Arsenal in 2020 and after a successful stint with Villa, the keeper could once again be available in the transfer market. Manchester United and Barcelona have been heavily linked with the Argentine but will Mikel Arteta consider him as a worthy replacement for Raya.
Emi Martinez can replace David Raya but should Arsenal re-sign him?
Even though a few eyebrows were raised initially, David Raya has been a brilliant signing for Arsenal. The keeper has brought stability to the back line and the 29-year-old has kept 49 clean sheets in the Premier League since his debut in the 21/22 season.
There’s no denying that losing him will be a major blow for Mikel Arteta but Emi Martinez will be a very good replacement. The World Cup winner has been exceptional since leaving the Gunners and he has played in 213 games for Villa in all competitions.
The keeper has kept 70 clean sheets in these 213 appearances and there’s no doubt he has turned himself into one of the most confident and dependable goalkeepers in world football.
Stats – EPL 24/25 Emi Martinez David Raya
Games Played 37 38
Goals Conceded 38 32
Clean Sheets 8 13
Saves 95 85
Minutes Per Goal 84 107
The Gunners fans have occasionally booed him due to his antics but if David Raya leaves for Spain in the summer, the Emirates faithful would have him back in a flash.
Arsenal will be confident about keeping Raya at the club and there’s no need to panic just yet because his contract will expire in 2028. However, Atletico Madrid and especially Real are in need of a new keeper and if one of them offers around €60-70 million, the Gunners will find it hard to resist.
However, Emi Martinez won’t come cheap either because he still has four more years remaining on his contract and Aston Villa have already made it clear that they will need a major transfer fee to let him leave. Villa have missed out on Champions League football which should force them to lower their demands but we are still looking at something around €50-55 million.
Not a lot of top goalkeepers will be available in the transfer market this summer and because David Raya is the backbone of Arsenal’s playing style, Mikel Arteta will need to replace him with someone similar.