Gary Neville tipped Manchester United off on the opportunity to sign a player who has since gone on to excel with Premier League rivals Arsenal, getting a damning response
Gary Neville speaks into a microphone
Gary Neville thought David Raya would be a good fit for Manchester United(Image: James Gill - Danehouse, Getty Images)
Gary Neville was left frustrated when Manchester United dismissed David Raya because he's "not good enough with his feet."
That philosophy may have contributed significantly to United's carousel of goalkeeping disasters in recent seasons. The Red Devils moved for Royal Antwerp keeper Senne Lammens on deadline day for an initial £18million.
Ruben Amorim will be hoping the 23-year-old Belgian can finally solve their goalkeeping crisis after Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir have perpetuated the club's recent legacy of catastrophic keeping. Modern managers increasingly demand goalkeepers to confidently distribute from the back, and it appears as though United had that in mind when they supposedly snubbed Raya.
Speaking on Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet, Neville said: "I'd mentioned Raya to someone at United. I'd watched him quite a bit for Brentford [and] thought he looked a good goalkeeper.
"And they said, 'Oh, he's not good enough with his feet.' The person I'd spoke to at United at the time... I remember thinking, 'I've watched Raya a lot. He's pretty good.'
"And you're thinking, 'He saves a lot of shots, quite good at dominating his box, he's quite brave.' And [Neville's contact] said, 'No, he's not good enough with his feet.'"
David Raya of Arsenal controls the ball during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield
Neville wanted his former club to beat Arsenal to the punch for Raya
Some supporters were left puzzled when Arsenal opted to bring in Raya from Brentford in 2023, given that Aaron Ramsdale faced relatively little criticism at that point.
The Spanish keeper initially arrived at the Emirates on loan, with an option to secure a permanent £27m transfer, which Arsenal exercised 12 months later.
Despite some initial uncertainty following his arrival in north London, boss Mikel Arteta's decision has been vindicated. Most supporters would acknowledge that Raya's distribution skills frequently appear amongst his greatest assets, rather than any sort of limitation.
Senne Lammens of Royal Antwerp FC during the Jupiler Pro League match between Royal Antwerp FC and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at Bosuilstadion
Manchester United have signed Senne Lammens
It shows just how misguided some supposedly knowledgeable voices can prove, even at institutions with United's stature and reputation. Nevertheless, the Red Devils will be optimistic they've finally found the solution with promising Belgian prospect Lammens.
Part of David de Gea's departure from the club also stemmed from concerns that his footwork and calmness under pressure weren't meeting required standards. Yet replacements Onana and Bayindir have both revealed their own significant shortcomings as of late.
Meanwhile, Raya found himself rather red-faced after being beaten by Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai from a 35-yard free-kick on Sunday. That provided all the ammunition Neville required to brand the Gunners the "same old Arsenal" following another defeat in a pivotal title race encounter.