Chelsea, Manchester United And Tottenham have shown an interest in Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, who will enter the final year of his contract this summer.
The 27-year-old Spaniard is yet to agree new terms Brentford And is likely to be available at a lower price if no new contract is signed before next season. He has been publicly coy about his future and the prospect of a deal has alerted many of the Premier League’s top clubs, who have long tracked his role in Brentford’s rise to eighth in the division.
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Spurs, in particular, need a successor to 36-year-old Hugo Lloris while United have yet to secure new terms with David de Gea, who has five months to run on his current deal.
Chelsea have their own problems to sort out: Edouard Mendy has yet to agree a contract extension while Kepa Arrizabalaga’s long-term status is uncertain. Raya’s ability to distribute the ball from the back has few parallels in the top flight and his potential availability is attractive to all three clubs, who have all inquired about the player’s condition.
Arsenal showed a strong interest in signing Raya in 2020 but Brentford rejected several bids of around £10m and the league leaders eventually moved on.
Raya signed a new contract at Brentford, who were subsequently promoted from the Championship, and his potential sale price increased significantly. The keeper, who started his professional career at Blackburn, went on to become a full international for Spain. There has been little indication that he will further extend his commitment to Thomas Frank’s side and a battle for his services is likely at the end of the campaign.
A potential replacement for Raya at Brentford is QPR goalkeeper, Cenny Dieng, whose contract runs until 2024. The Senegal international, who is in the World Cup squad in Qatar, is also being monitored by Spurs and Brighton.
Additional reporting by Will Unwin
