Arsenal’s David Raya transfer approach rejected as they eye Bernd Leno back-up

Arsenal have reportedly had a £10million transfer bid for David Raya rejected by Brentford.

Mikel Arteta needs a new backup goalkeeper to first-choice Bernd Leno after Emiliano Martinez joined Premier League rivals Aston Villa in a £20million move.

The Gunners are closing in the signing of Runar Alex Runarsson, with the Icelandic keeper set to join from Dijon for just £1.5m after reportedly agreeing personal terms.

But hasn’t stopped Arsenal from stepping up their pursuit of Raya, who topped the Championship’s clean sheets chart last season as Brentford mounted a bid for Premier League status.

The Bees – who finished third but missed out on promotion via the play-offs – have turned down an initial £10m bid from the Gunners, according to The Telegraph.

The publication says Brentford have insisted the 25-year-old will not be leaving Griffin Park this summer.

However it is understood they would consider selling if Arsenal are willing to loan him straight back to them for next season.

That would give the Bees a cash injection up front while allowing them to keep the highly-rated Raya as they chase their top-flight dream.

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New signings Willian and Gabriel Magalhaes both hit the ground running against Fulham but Mikel Arteta is still on the lookout for new signings. Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar and Brentford keeper David Raya are two of the names on their radar.

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However, it could leave Arteta’s side short in the goalkeeping department, as Matt Macey has one year left on his contract and has been linked with a move away this summer.

One factor in Arsenal’s favour in their pursuit of Raya is that he has a close relationship with Inaka Cana, the goalkeeping coach who joined the Gunners from Brentford in December last year.

Although Raya would initially be signed as backup to Leno, it is believed the Spaniard would relish the challenge of competing for the No1 spot.

Runarsson, who is the same age as Raya, is set to pen a five-year deal with the Gunners – although to pave the way for a move he had to delete a few tweets criticising Arsene Wenger from when he was a teenager.

He comes in after Martinez joined Villa, having impressed last season when he stood in for the injured Leno – helping Arsenal to their record-extending 14th FA Cup triumph.