Tottenham Hotspur are looking to bolster Ange Postecoglou’s playing squad early this summer and with one deal complete, a move for David Raya is edging ever closer…
Tottenham transfer news – David Raya
According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Lilywhites have agreed on personal terms with the Brentford goalkeeper ahead of a potential switch to north London.
He tweeted:
“David Raya: “I have ambitions to make the next step in my career. I want to try to win titles and to compete in Europe”
“”There are options out there but it’s not just my ambitions, the club also needs to let me go”, told Times.”Personal terms agreed with Tottenham.”
It comes after Spurs announced the permanent signing of Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus following a successful 18-month loan spell in the capital. The 23-year-old has signed a five-year deal and is believed to have cost around £25m.
Now the north Londoners must look to strike a deal with the Bees, who are reportedly holding out for £40m for Raya, despite already signing his mooted replacement in Mark Flekken.
Will David Raya replace Hugo Lloris at Tottenham?
It’s no secret that the no.1 spot is a contentious issue heading into the summer for Spurs and their new manager.
Long-serving stalwart Hugo Lloris, 36, has been inconsistent over the past few seasons, but his blunders this campaign particularly stood out amid the club’s struggles under Antonio Conte and then two interim managers.
Only five teams conceded more goals than the Lilywhites in 2022/23, three of whom were relegated to the Championship.
The World Cup-winning shot-stopper confirmed earlier this month that he wanted to leave Tottenham for a new challenge, claiming: “It’s the end of an era” to French newspaper Nice-Matin (via the Guardian). He does, however, still have one year to run on his £100k-per-week contract.
Raya, 27, seems a sensible replacement as Postecoglou will look to get Spurs back into Europe at the first time of asking.
The Barcelona-born titan was ever-present for Brentford in the Premier League last season, playing every single minute of every single game. And his performances saw him rated as Thomas Frank’s fifth-best performer with an average WhoScored rating of 6.97.
By comparison, Lloris earned a paltry 6.59 rating from his 25 league appearances, whilst only four teams conceded fewer goals than the Bees, all of whom finished in the top four.
Having been lauded as an “incredible” goalkeeper and capable of wearing “the number 10 shirt” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, the 6 foot 1 glovesman could be an ideal second signing after Kulusevski as Postecoglou will no doubt want to address Tottenham’s shocking defensive record, sooner rather than later.
Whilst £40m may be a pretty penny to pay, there are few better alternatives available on the market this summer.
