David Raya (Barcelona, 1995) is the big surprise on Luis Enrique’s list, who has decided to leave out David de Gea to bet on this 26-year-old goalkeeper who plays for Brentford. A team known as “the wasps” that is in fifteenth place in the Premier League and that in recent months has been in the news for the signing of Christian Eriksen.
But Raya is also one of the leaders of the London team. Therefore, although a knee injury left him without playing in December and January, his starting role has not been in danger. Thomas Frank blindly trusts him, but especially his footwork, which is one of the facets he dominates the most, and which has surely caught the attention of Luis Enrique.
The Cornellá goalkeeper has been in British football for ten years, where he arrived thanks to a training agreement with Blackburn Rovers. What was originally going to be a six-month exchange in England ended up changing his life. Raya rose to the first team and made the leap to professional football, despite his height: he measures 1.86 meters, which is considered little for a goalkeeper, especially in Great Britain.
But Raya ended up convincing all his coaches at Blackburn, at Southport and finally at Brentford; following in the footsteps of his idol, Iker Casillas. Another goalkeeper who did not stand out for his size but who handled himself exceptionally under the sticks. And so, the boy from Cornellá was making his way in the Championship -the English second division- until ascending to the Premier last year 2020-21 with Brentford.
This campaign is the first for him in the best league in the world, and he has taken the step at the age of 26. A maturity that has allowed him to string together notable matches in goal at the Community Stadium against rivals such as Manchester City, Liverpool or Chelsea. Overwhelming strikers that Raya counters with saves, and lots of them. Since returning from injury, he has averaged 4.8 saves per game.. That is what Brentford clings to in order to achieve permanence.