Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has revealed that he was ‘very close’ to joining Bayern Munich before he made the move to the Emirates Stadium.
Raya initially signed for the Gunners on loan from fellow Premier League outfit Brentford, before he made his move to north London permanent.
Arsenal have owed a large portion of their immense defensive record in recent years to the performances of Raya, and he’s undoubtedly been one of their best signings in the Mikel Arteta era.
Thankfully for Arsenal, Raya has been ever-present in the Premier League this season, and he’s the only player in the squad to play every single game.
Things could have looked a lot different for Arsenal if they had never brought Raya to the club, and he was close to making the move to Germany.
David Raya Reveals He Was Close to Bayern
Arsenal goalkeeper Raya has now revealed that he was close to joining Bayern Munich before signing for the Gunners from Brentford, as relayed by Fabrizio Romano.
Raya reveals that he is fortunate that the move never materialised, and he certainly won’t regret it if Arsenal end up lifting the Premier League title at the end of the season.
Arsenal supporters will be very thankful that the Gunners made the move to secure his signature ahead of Bayern, as he’s quietly been one of their best performers in recent years.
Raya has been one of Arsenal’s best and most underrated signings they’ve made in recent years.
The north London club paid just £27m to bring him to the Emirates, a minuscule fee in the modern era for a player who contributes so significantly.
Since joining Arsenal, Raya has made 136 appearances, so the value for money the Gunners have got from the signing is phenomenal.
Some of Arsenal’s outfield additions, such as Declan Rice, Gabriel, William Saliba, and Eberechi Eze take a lot of the plaudits and credit, but Raya has undoubtedly been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League since his arrival, and Mikel Arteta would likely not swap him for anyone.