We lost the league because we lacked quality depth. This goes a ways in mitigating that as well.

Sounds like will be done soon

Definitely an upgrade on the distribution front. Being able to swiftly release Saka or Martinelli as alternative to patient build up play will make us more unpredictable and tougher to play against.

I think he’s coming to be number 1

Raya isn't being signed on a whim - Arteta's followed him for at least 2 seasons now which makes him a higher conviction target than anyone else we've signed in one sense. There's two positions in the squad that haven't had any investment this summer - GK and striker. And since there's an absence of a high profile striker at the moment, there's nothing wrong with chasing incremental gains.

The worst outcome is that Raya does not displace Ramsdale because the latter gets a kick up to push on to the next level which is also a win. As for misallocation of resources - so what? People have said that about Rice and Havertz already - the Kroenkes along with Edu and Arteta aren't frivolous spenders and as long as it isn't impacting any other transfers then I don't really see the problem.

I hope I'm wrong, but I hate the idea of this signing even more than I did the Willian one.

That said, not that I'm rationalising at all, maybe Rammers does need some proper competition. £40m though...

    I think it's another statement signing from the recruitment team to help us be even more press resistant and keep us steadily on the front foot. Good stuff.

    this signing is in the havertz zone for me. I'm not loving it, but I don't hate it and can see some possible benefit. it does make one pause and look back at 100m pounds spent on the 2 of them and wonder if there was a better way to spend that money, but I've felt that way since we signed ben white. very much wait and see mode

    RocktheCasbah I think we won't pay 40m. No other clubs is paying 40m and he only wants to come here. It's nearing the end of window and if they don't sell they lose him for free.

    Probably 20 to 25m is a fair price. Anything else and we again looks like mugs overpaying while getting crap value from our players

    Don Pacifico I think that's one of Artetas blind spot. This is reportedly Cana's favorite and he has been pushing for Raya. Also presumably means Cana is not convinced by Rams. Assuming we continue to splash like mad I don't care about Raya price tbh. But in a normal world where our kitty are finite I agree with you that this incremental gain for a new number 1 is not worth it.

    If people are also concerned about penalty saving for Rams, I would bring you to the fact Raya is worse.

        With the fee, it's a lot of money but I tend to think we will recoup more than half selling one of these two the following summer.

        I feel slightly uneasy about the dressing room impact, but when I think about it there are a few clear benefits:

        1. If Ramsdale has one of his predictable drops in form we've got Raya, or vice versa.
        2. I strongly felt the "leaders" (including Ramsdale) in our squad needed to be under more pressure for their places last season

        We've developed an amazing positive vibe across the squad, and we've got all our young stars locked down on contracts. But we are going to need to scrap or banish several players in the next few weeks. Now's the time to find that psychological cutting edge.

        I don't get the fixation on the price. Should we want him more only if he costs less? Would he have less or more attractive goalkeeping ability?

        I think many Arsenal fans are yet to come to terms with this new era. We are a billionaire owned club. And daddy Wal-bucks clearly favors Arteta and is solidly behind the club's spending at the moment. We will spend as much as we can as long as the accountants tell us they can make it work. We obviously haven't been out there looking for "value" all summer long.

        Money ain't a thang at Arsenal now. Get used to it.

          flobaba I wouldn't want us to spend any money at all on him, the idea of him playing for us horrifies me (I'm probably being dramatic here, but this is how I feel), so any money is too much. Forty - or 25 Clrnc, mill is ridiculous.

              Actually, on the point about his distribution, I think he was helped by the fact that, in Ivan Toney, Brentford have someone who can compete for and win a high volume of long balls, but even I noticed how good Raya's distribution was when Brentford were at our place last season, particularly at distance. It was like Raya - Toney and Brentford were 80 yards up the pitch in seconds. I'm not sure if the free kick they, incorrectly, won for the equaliser came from such a situation, but it might have.

              So I do get the logic, I just don't think he's going to be necessarily more secure than Rammers.

              There's a couple of things I disagree with from what others have said.

              Firstly, that we have 'infinite' funds. If that is the case, then sure, I'd be on board with bringing Raya in (kinda). But I can't see beyond the fact that our spending increases our level of debt (we have to pay the Kroenkes back etc.), which at some point further down the line will impact our spending (particularly if we don't improve our selling capabilities).

              Secondly, whilst in principle I agree with the notion that we are able to invest into GK if candidates for the other squad vacancies aren't on the market, it is still predicated by my first point in that we should be mindful of the impact further down the line of investing £40m into a position where we have appropriate cover.

              Also, I can't get away from the fact that the kind of approach we're taking here would be justifiable if it were for a generational talent, where in reality it's probably for this generation's Victor Valdes (yes, I'm being flippant). For me, this smacks of our leadership team having drunk the Kool Aid.

              I'm willing to acknowledge I got Ramsdale wrong and I hope I'm wrong about everything I've said above but can't shake the feeling that some of our choices are going to bite us in the ass later down the line.

                What makes you say that we’re funding these players through debt?

                  RocktheCasbah I haven't seen you underrate or not rate a player that's linked to us this much before. I do remember a few times you said you had a close friend supporting Brentford that isn't complimentary of his abilities so if that's correct I do understand.

                  I just think watching Raya highlights, he's very short and even if his reflexes is fast he can't get to many good finishes. His positioning is more impressive than Rams though so he don't need to make so many Hollywood saves.