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In twelve days time, David de Gea will be a free agent, should he fail to agree on terms for a new contract with Manchester United.
As reported by The Peoples Person, David Raya remains of interest to Erik ten Hag. The Brentford goalkeeper would be well-suited to the manager’s preferred style of play, is available for around £40m, and appears determined to leave his current employers.
In a recent interview, Raya was clear on his ambitions – as he has been since his refusal to sign a new deal with The Bees.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, negotiations are thought to be advanced between the 27-year-old and Tottenham Hotspur. But the goalkeeper’s own comments would suggest that a move to Spurs is far from a done deal. It does not even appear to be the move Raya really wants.
“I have ambitions to make the next step in my career,” he told The Times. “I want to try to win titles and to compete in Europe in the next couple of years. I’m 27 now and I feel like I’m at the point in my career when I want to make that step up. There are options out there but it’s not just my ambitions, the club also needs to let me go.”
Tottenham finished in 8th place last season, meaning they have no European competition in which to compete next season.
They were, in fact, only one point ahead of The Bees in the Premier League and still appear to be standing on shaky ground after a few years under many managers, all of whom have fallen out with chairman Daniel Levy in one way or another.
Harry Kane looks to be positioning himself for a free transfer next summer, while important players like Son Heung-Ming and Hugo Lloris are slowing down. Spurs does not look like the place to be for players wanting regular European football, and – short of a solitary League Cup win in 2008 – it hasn’t been the place to win trophies in some 35 years.
When a player decides that they are ready for the “next step,” in their career as Raya has done, it is rare that they mean to make a lateral move. And while Tottenham did manage to accrue one point more than Brentford last term, one would think that David Raya would be interest in slightly more of a “step up.”
Between that and The Lilywhites’ refusal to meet Brentford’s £40m asking price, the door is very much open for Manchester United to swoop in.
Even in The Red Devils’ worst of campaigns, European football is a safe bet, while under Erik ten Hag there are clear signs of progress towards regular honours.
Man United need simply reach a decision on De Gea’s future at the club and act accordingly. Should he leave United, a proactive goalkeeper with excellent reliability in possession to go with his consistent shot stopping ability will be right at the top of Erik ten Hag’s wishlist.
And by the sounds of it, David Raya might just be willing to wait a little while for a genuine chance of silverware.
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