Raya deserving of plaudits as vultures start to circle Brentford

 

Spain have a good selection of goalkeepers to call upon... good, not great, but ones that all have a viable shout for the number one spot. While Unai Simon is the current starter for La Roja, there is a decent chance that, in time, David Raya will usurp the Athletic Club star. As Brentford enjoy an excellent second season in the Premier League, Raya has been key to their flying first half to the campaign. 

 

Only Chelsea's Kepa (7.21) and Fulham shotstopper Bernd Leno (7.15) have earned better a WhoScored rating than Raya (7.04) of goalkeepers in the Premier League this season - there must be something in the water in west London - and his performances, at least on these shores, have not gone unnoticed. 

 

Raya may have made Spain's World Cup squad, yet failed to register a single minute of game time as Luis Enrique's side crashed out at the hands of Morocco in the last-16. It's feasible to suggest that, were he, with all due respect to Brentford, playing for a more recognised name, he'd quickly establish himself as first choice.

 

That's not to say Raya should immediately depart Brentford for pastures new. Thomas Frank has done a wonderful job for the Bees to get them promoted to the Premier League, and seemingly avoid the dreaded second season syndrome. We have seen countless times where a player has earned a so-called bigger move elsewhere, and then struggled. Yet, Raya has understandably attracted interest from Premier League suitors, notably Tottenham and Chelsea. 

 

Spurs' goalkeeping issues are well documented - current number one and club captian Hugo Lloris has committed more errors leading to an opposition goal (4) than any other player in the Premier League this season - and it's known that the club are in the market for another shotstopper. For their London rivals Chelsea, Edouard Mendy has fallen out of favour under Graham Potter, while Kepa, despite being solid, still doesn't inspire confidence.

 

By comparison, Raya looks an sturdier pair of hands with each passing gameweek. Indeed, Raya earned his third WhoScored man of the match award of the season in Brentford's 0-0 draw at Leeds on Sunday, while a seventh clean sheet of the campaign ranks fourth in the division. 

 

 

The 27-year-old now places top for saves (86) in England's top tier, and boasts the third best save success rate (74.8%) in the division behind Nick Pope (78.5%) and Aaron Ramsdale (75.9%). A team tested frequently will often inflate the former number, and this is the case with Brentford, who are conceding the third most shots per game (15.3) in the Premier League this season, but the latter returns shows how well Raya deals with constant pressure. 

 

Added appeal to Raya's game is his range of passing, which in the modern game, is key. A criticism of Lloris' for example is his poor distribution. Obviously, he has had a relatively successful career without the need for re-developing his game, yet in time, this has caught up on the 2018 World Cup winner. 

 

Raya has the scope that has allows Brentford to quickly instigate rapid attacks, which has seen the Bees develop a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'counter attacks' and means only Manchester United (6) have scored more counter attacking goals than Brentford (4) in England's top tier this term. Indeed, Raya has made more accurate long balls (216) than any other player in the Premier League this season. For a Brentford side than ranks 18th for possession (42.9%) in the division, the ability to pick out a teammate from distance is a quality that Frank has maximised. 

 

It's little wonder, then, that Raya is one of only three goalkeepers to have created multiple goalscoring chances in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, which is due to his relevant vision and distribution. The ability to pick a pass has undoubtedly raised his profile, just as much as his shotstopping qualities. 

 

With 18 months left to run on his current deal at the Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford are aware they need to cash in on Raya by the end of the season at the very latest if they are unable to convince him to sign a new contract before then. It may even be this month they lose their number one, though it would take a huge offer to convince the Bees to sell the Spaniard. Either way, losing Raya would be a hefty blow for Brentford. 

 

Yet as his reputation soars, so too does Brentford's asking price for the in-form goalkeeper. There's a good reason why their London rivals are keen on raiding the Bees for Raya as they seek to upgrade between the sticks and while an exit would likely set Brentford back, a high-profile move for the Spain international could prove the logical step in his career as he also seeks to establish himself as first choice under De la Fuente.

Raya deserving of plaudits as vultures start to circle Brentford