Tottenham have completed an agreement on personal terms with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Spurs are reportedly looking to bring in the goalkeeper on a long-term contract as a replacement for club captain Hugo Lloris.
Lloris wants to leave the club for a new start after a challenging season for the veteran in the Premier League. The 36-year-old is entering the last phase of his career and has publicly stated his desire to leave.
Tottenham have enquired about Raya but Brentford’s £40 million price tag is considered too high. The shot-stopper has a year left on his contract and he does not wish to sign a new contract at Brentford.
Manchester United were also interested in Raya but it was reportedly this price tag that discouraged them from pursuing a deal for the Spaniard. Chelsea were also interested in Raya but they seemed to have moved their focus elsewhere.
Raya’s agent recently threatened Brentford saying that the player will leave on a free next year if they do not lower their asking price for him.
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Raya was an important feature in Brentford’s excellent Premier League 2022/23 campaign and helped them finish in the top half of the table. He has been at the club since 2019 and also played a pivotal role in Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League.
He is considered to be one of the best in the league when it comes to playing out from the back and possesses all the qualities to be successful at a higher level.
Spurs also have a lot of other areas to focus on in their squad and it looks unlikely that they will spend £40 million on the 27-year-old goalkeeper. They will be hoping to get Brentford to lower the price tag to a more reasonable number.
But Brentford are known for not letting a player go for any less than their valuation just like Ollie Watkins or Said Benrahma. Spurs even missed out on Watkins due to his price tag before he joined Aston Villa.
They have signed Mark Flekken from German club Freiburg as Raya’s replacement but are reportedly also prepared to go into the season with both Raya and Frekken and allow the Spaniard to run down his contract.
The final price tag remains to be seen but with personal terms agreed, Spurs would feel confident of striking a deal with both club and the player.
