Chelsea are admirers of Brentford goalkeeper David Raya as the club looks to begin their rebuild under the incoming Mauricio Pochettino.
What’s the latest on David Raya to Chelsea?
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are set to rival Tottenham Hotspur for the Spaniard’s signature.
The outlet details that these clubs value the shot-stopper at around £20m, but the Bees manager has recently rubbished this and claims he is worth double that.
He said: “You all know the price – £40m – and absolutely it’s realistic. I think it is too much, in general, the money that is paid in football.
"But in the current market and at his level, he has been at least a top-four keeper in the Premier League this season. If you look at those players, in such a crucial position, then I am not in doubt.”
It has also been reported that the west London outfit are already preparing for the 27-year-old’s exit and have named Wolfsburg’s Mark Flekken and Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher as possible replacements.
However, there could be a potential dagger for Chelsea as Raya supposedly favours a move to north London with the long-serving Hugo Llorus expected to depart this summer.
Who could David Raya replace at Chelsea?
Since achieving promotion to the Premier League in 2021, the two-cap international has kept 19 clean sheets in 61 games, and has been a crucial cog of an efficient and solid Brentford side that has never looked threatened by relegation.
In his team’s 3-1 victory over Spurs, the former Blackman man was in imperious form as he registered six saves from inside the box and made four high claims.
This display is an accurate reflection of his superiority across the whole season, as the £25k-per-week star has recorded the most saves (152) and the second-highest high claims (51) in the entire division.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s goalkeeping situation is dire, and it has been compounded by the uncertainty of Edouard Mendy and his extraordinary decline.
The Senegalese originally transformed the club’s fortunes when he replaced Kepa Arrizabalaga and only conceded 29 goals in 44 games in his first campaign.
However, his form has drastically worsened and this was epitomised by a recent error against Nottingham Forest when he recklessly rushed off his goal line to allow Taiwo Awoniyi to head into an empty goal.
The 31-year-old also looks uncomfortable with his feet, which was underlined when he was dispossessed by Brenden Aaronson in a 3-0 defeat at Elland Road earlier this term. He has been reduced to the bench in seven of Chelsea's last eight top-flight games and his departure looks inevitable.
Conversely, Raya has been described as “next-level” with Jurgen Klopp even saying he should “have a No 10 on his back, with the balls he played.”
If the Blues signed Raya, it would be an excellent first step in the Pochettino revolution and an instant upgrade on the underperforming Mendy.