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Arsenal’s opening bid for Raya is slightly below what Brentford are seeking but negotiations continue over a deal, which both parties are looking to complete.
Mikel Arteta has hinted at the reason Arsenal want to add David Raya to their ranks ahead of the 2023/2024 league season.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's game against Man City , the Spaniard expressed a need for the club to create a competitive environment to keep players on their toes.
According to David Ornstein, Arsenal’s opening bid for Raya is slightly below what Brentford are seeking but negotiations continue over a deal, which both parties are looking to complete.
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12:26 - 06.08.2023
FOOTBALL Burundi striker Fiston Razak optimistic of shocking Harambee Stars in World Cup qualifiers
The Sofapaka striker has warned Harambee Stars to be ready for a tough task when they face Burundi in the World Cup qualifiers.
"We're very happy with the squad we have, that's for sure. We want healthy competition in the squad and we're working on that," Arteta said.
There are so many positions in the team that, last season, were perceived to be automatic picks.
Now, though, Ben White faces competition from Timber, Thomas Partey will now have to rediscover the form he showed in the first two-thirds of last season with the arrival of Declan Rice, and Gabriel Jesus knows Kai Havertz offers something different as a striker.
If the Raya deal progresses, Ramsdale will just be the next player to have his first-choice status challenged. Matt Turner is a capable goalkeeper, as his performances for the USMNT at the Gold Cup underlined once again, but he is not considered Ramsdale’s equal and Nottingham Forest hold a strong interest in signing him this summer.
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10:00 - 20.07.2023
OPINION: Kenya must invest in youth and grassroots football to become a regular World Cup and AFCON side. This is why
If Harambee Stars is to qualify for its first ever World Cup and always go far at the AFCON, this is why it must invest in youth and grassroots football.
Arsenal want Raya to come in and compete for the No 1 jersey. It is not the case that the Spaniard would come in and immediately take over, but with any deal likely to demand a significant outlay, competition will be fierce in training to secure regular involvement.
Arteta said in a previous press conference that the size of the squad was “unsustainable”, and that the club would have to sell before buying.
The Gunners took 31 players to their pre-season tour of the USA, but with several of their U21s in the traveling party, a number of first-team members were left behind and are lacking match practice with just one week until the start of the Premier League.
Nicolas Pepe, Cedric Soares and Albert Sambi Lokonga, who all spent time out on loan away from the Emirates last season, are among that group but remain contracted to the club with less than a month left of the summer transfer window.
Meanwhile, Arteta is angling to make amends for last season’s disappointment by fighting for every trophy in order to deliver silverware.
"This is what we want, fighting for every trophy. We have to prove that. What we did last year was not enough to win the big trophy and we have to be better.
"We're very excited to play a final and have the opportunity to win a trophy. We're playing against a team that is the team to beat, the best team in Europe last season and we know what the standards are."
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18:34 - 23.07.2023
STARS ABROAD Joseph Okumu's meteoric rise from rejection in South Africa, one-year sabbatical to France's Ligue 1
The 26-year-old Kenyan international has joined the Will Still-coached side from Gent on a five-year contract
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10:42 - 06.08.2023
Community Shield preview: Arsenal and Manchester City clash for season's first silverware
Arsenal and Manchester City compete for silverware in the traditional curtain-raiser.
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