Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed his decision to sign goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford.

Despite, Aaron Ramsdale playing every minute of Arsenal’s league campaign last season, twice winning the Premier League Save of the Month award, and keeping 14 clean sheets in all, Arteta moved to strengthen the position with the arrival of the Spaniard custodian on a season-long loan deal.

Arteta believes increasing the level of competition within the squad will improve the environment across the board, and that it’s healthy for every position – whether in goal or outfield. “When we had different goalkeepers there were questions as well,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference. “To have two excellent goalkeepers is great – there’s nothing wrong with it. We have two great left-wingers and two great strikers and two great holding midfielders. We have Jorginho, Thomas, and Declan and that is not a problem, and it should not be a problem.

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“We want to be better every single day and to be better the environment has to change and be better. We tend to always be at a certain level because it’s in our nature – when you change the environment and the environment is to be 100 percent every day, believe me, the level is going to increase.

“I’ve seen that close up with my own eyes with the players that we have now, compared to the players we had two years ago. If we want to be better, we have to create that environment.”

Having completed his transfer on Tuesday, 27-year-old Raya – who was ever-present in the Premier League for the Bees last season ¬– is eligible to be involved for us in the matchday squad for the first time on Monday night, as we travel to face Crystal Palace.