Goalkeeper David Raya has a slightly awkward tattoo that may raise some eyebrows as he edges closer to a summer transfer to Arsenal.
What's the latest on David Raya to Arsenal?
Despite already having Aaron Ramsdale as the club's number one shot-stopper – and only giving him a new contract back in May that runs until 2026, with the option of a further year – the Gunners are closing in on a deal for an alternative option between the sticks.
Indeed, as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the latest news is that Brentford's Raya has "completed" the main part of medical tests at London Colney and so is set to officially sign shortly.
In terms of the financials, it's expected that the Spaniard will join for an initial £3m loan fee with the option of making the switch permanent for a further £27m next summer (via The Athletic).
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This seems like pretty good business for Mikel Arteta and co, especially as they have been forced to ask fast in the market with backup goalkeeper Matt Turner heading to Nottingham Forest for a reported £10m transfer fee this week.
Interestingly, however, Raya has a tattoo which actually references a game he once played against Arsenal, and it may not go down well with many fans.
What is David Raya's tattoo?
As you can see in the image below, on the back of his neck, the goalkeeper has been inked to reference his Premier League debut.
The tattoo is of a date – "13-08-21" – the 13th of August 2021. Unfortunately for Arsenal, this happened to be the day they famously travelled to take on newly promoted Brentford on the opening day of the Premier League and were soundly beaten 2-0 with Raya keeping a clean sheet.
The Gunners were hit by a series of positive Covid tests shortly before kick-off with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and Alex Runarsson all ruled out of the game at the last moment, leaving manager Arteta surprised as to why the game was postponed.
The Bees took full advantage, however, in what turned out to be a miserable night for the North London outfit. BBC journalist Phil McNulty summed it up in his match report, writing: "Brentford celebrated their return to the top tier after a 74-year absence with a memorable, magnificent victory over woeful Arsenal as they opened their Premier League campaign in style."
Seeing as this was the first time Raya had played in the English top flight, and his team won so convincingly, you can see why he would want to commemorate the event with a tattoo.
However, this was a real low point during the Arteta reign, so Arsenal fans and players alike won't want to be reminded of it whenever the camera pans to show their new goalkeeper.
Still, so long as the 27-year-old can put in some strong performances for the club – potentially even taking the number one shirt from Ramsdale – then this small issue will likely be forgotten.
For now, it will certainly be interesting to see how often Raya plays over the course of the season with Arteta having two first-team quality goalkeepers to pick from every week.
