Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ahead of Manchester United in the race to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya this summer.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly at the head of the queue to sign in-demand Brentford goalkeeper David Raya this summer.
The 27-year-old is only under contract with Thomas Frank‘s side until 2024 and is expected to end his four-year stint at the Gtech Community Stadium this summer.
Having helped Brentford establish themselves as a top-half Premier League side since joining from Blackburn Rovers in 2019, Raya is believed to have attracted the attention of Spurs and Manchester United.
Bees manager Frank has publicly admitted that Raya could be on the way out this summer as he pines for European football, but the Dane stated that it would take at least £40m for their number one to be sold.
Tottenham – who are set to wave goodbye to long-serving number one Hugo Lloris this summer – have apparently formulated a £20m package, which falls short of Brentford’s asking price.
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However, speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Rudy Galetti claimed that the Lilywhites are nonetheless leading the race to sign the Spain international, saying: “At the moment, we can say Spurs are leading the race for the Spanish goalkeeper.
“He’s considered one of the main targets to replace Lloris, who unless a sensational twist, will say goodbye in June. As for the coach situation, there will be concrete developments only when the new director has been chosen.”
A product of the Blackburn academy, Raya has kept 53 clean sheets in 160 matches for Brentford since leaving Ewood Park, including 11 shutouts from 37 Premier League games in the current campaign.
The goalkeeper has become a regular fixture in the Spain setup owing to his performances in a Brentford jersey, making two senior appearances for La Roja and earning a call-up to the 2022 World Cup, where he was an unused substitute throughout the tournament.
As is the case with Raya, Tottenham’s current number one Lloris is also out of contract in 2024, but the former France international is unlikely to see out his deal in North London.
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Lloris has been regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in England during his 11-year spell at Tottenham, but he has kept just seven clean sheets in the current Premier League season and has made a league-high four errors directly leading to a goal.
Amid increasing criticism of his performances, Lloris is believed to be weighing up a triple-your-money offer from an unnamed Saudi Arabian club, and a season-ending hip injury means that he may have already played his final game for the Lilywhites.
Raya is one of several goalkeepers understood to be on Tottenham’s transfer wishlist, which also includes Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, Southampton’s Gavin Bazunu, Chelsea’s Edouard Mendy and Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher.
However, Jurgen Klopp has insisted that it would take “extraordinary” money for the Reds to part ways with Kelleher, and Tottenham will try to appoint a new sporting director and head coach before pressing ahead with their summer transfer plans.
The Lilywhites were recently dealt another blow in their search for a new manager, though, as Feyenoord’s Arne Slot ruled himself out of the running on Thursday before signing a new deal with the Dutch champions only a day later.
