Wasn't overly convinced how this could work but as a loan deal I think this is great.
I still believe Ramsdale is considered number one and while Raya could usurp him, I think we wanted to get him in as a means to further develop the way our GK and outfield interact with each other. Speculating that while Ramsdale has largely been great for us, maybe he has not fully embraced the way Arteta wants him to play the position that would take him to the next level and open up tactical options that we can't yet lean into.
Raya is a good enough GK to put pressure on Ramsdale for the number one spot, but feel the initial loan option is more indicative that we are not all in on a permanent challenge for the jersey and we might be okay with just a short-term impact. Bringing in Raya who has been on our radar for a while means Arteta now has the option to use him in training and match days to demonstrate to Ramsdale and the outfield players how that skillset would fit and enhance/expand our current style of play. It will need our outfield players to adapt as well so having Raya, even for just a year, to help speed that process up should be beneficial.
