What David Raya permanent transfer would mean for Arsenal January plans

When Arsenal signed David Raya in the summer, it's safe to say it was not a move met with universal approval. The deal came on the back of an impressive year for Gunners' No.1 Aaron Ramsdale, after he had ousted Bernd Leno as the club's previous first-choice keeper the season before.

The move also saw Raya arriving on an initial season-long loan deal worth around £3million, with a £27million option to buy the Spanish keeper outright. While good quality backup was needed for Ramsdale following Leno's move to Fulham in 2022, this certainly felt more like a direct challenge to the England international.

And after just a month, it proved to be so with Raya starting against Everton at Goodison Park in mid-September. Fans were split, with some feeling Raya was not a big enough upgrade to necessitate a move, others welcoming the increased competition, and all hoping for improved results after pushing Manchester City all the way in a Premier League title race.

The fact that Raya was not signed on a full transfer left some baffled, but there seemed an easy solution to the problem: it was to help with Arsenal's finances. The Gunners had already spent big with over £200million committed to signing Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber. To reduce the chance of them falling behind in the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules, Raya would likely have a permanent transfer confirmed for next summer, meaning the Gunners could put his transfer on next season's accounts following a year of boosted profits after appearing in the Champions League this season.

However, rumours have spread recently that Raya's move could be made permanent sooner rather than later. Journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed the deal «will be soon».