Arsenal’s undisputed number one, David Raya, has opened up about the sliding-doors moment that nearly saw him move to the Bundesliga instead of North London. Speaking to Sky Sports in the buildup to Sunday’s highly anticipated Carabao Cup final against Manchester City, the 30-year-old Spaniard revealed that a transfer to German giants Bayern Munich was essentially a done deal before the Gunners intervened. The revelation adds a layer of intrigue to Raya’s journey at the Emirates, where he has transformed from a loanee into one of the Premier League’s most statistically dominant shot-stoppers.
Raya, who completed a permanent £27 million move from Brentford in the summer of 2024, admitted that his career trajectory was “literally on the edge” of a different reality. Bayern’s interest at the time was fueled by a long-term injury to Manuel Neuer, and the Bavarian club had reportedly agreed on personal terms before the structural nature of their bid allowed Arsenal to hijack the move.
Reflecting on the timing of the two offers, the Spain international noted:
“I was very close to going to another club before joining Arsenal. And luckily, that did not happen, so Arsenal made the bid. The club was FC Bayern.”
Since choosing Mikel Arteta’s project over the allure of Munich, Raya has become the foundational piece of the league’s meanest defense. Currently leading the race for a third consecutive Golden Glove, the Barcelona-born keeper has already amassed over 20 clean sheets across all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign. His distribution and composure under pressure have been cited as key reasons why Arsenal currently hold a significant lead at the top of the Premier League table.
However, despite his league dominance, Raya is expected to play a supporting role at Wembley this Sunday. Following the rotation policy that has seen Kepa Arrizabalaga start every match of this season’s Carabao Cup run, Raya is likely to watch from the bench as Arsenal seeks its first major trophy of the year. For the Spaniard, the focus remains on the collective success of the squad, knowing that his “lucky” decision to snub Bayern has placed him at the heart of a historic quadruple charge.
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