Arsenal are reportedly set to confirm the permanent signing of goalkeeper David Raya, who was signed on loan from Brentford in the summer

Arsenal are reportedly set to confirm David Raya as a permanent signing. The goalkeeper was signed on a loan deal in the summer as the Gunners looked to comply with financial rules.

The Gunners were bullish in the summer transfer window as Mikel Arteta’s side looked to strengthen their title hopes. The signing of Raya initially came as a surprise, given that Aaron Ramsdale had been ever-present during the previous season.

The club paid a £3 million loan fee and agreed a price of £27 million for a permanent deal, bringing the total to £30 million, as Arsenal worked to navigate fears over financial fair play. Raya has made 20 appearances overall since dislodging Ramsdale as first-choice in the early weeks of the campaign, keeping eight clean sheets.

Arsenal have yet to announce a new signing during the January transfer window. However, journalist Fabrizio Romano has suggested that it is only a matter of time before Raya joins the club permanently, as the key details are in place.

“It will be soon. From what I’ve heard, it’s already agreed, so I don’t know when they will make it official,” Romano told Give Me Sport. “It’s something that they already agreed on in the summer. The Raya deal was going to be permanent at the beginning, but they had to change the structure of the deal because of Financial Fair Play. Brentford decided to help Arsenal with that, but it is not going to change anything. The deal will be made permanent.”

It was expected that Raya would leave Brentford in the summer after previously rejecting the offer of a new contract. As part of the deal that saw him sign for the Gunners, though, the 28-year-old signed a fresh two-year deal with Brentford, with the option for a further year.

Raya had been impressive throughout his four seasons with the Bees, with his performances earning him a call-up to the Spain national team. Brentford looked to be challenging for European football for parts of last season, and Raya’s contributions were recognised as he was nominated for Premier League player of the month last January.