'When I saw David Raya for the first time, this is what I thought' - ex-Tottenham goalkeeper
David Raya's rise to the top of the goalkeeping game with Arsenal is no surprise for those who watched him previously.
That is the opinion of former Tottenham, Everton and Aston Villa scout and ex-Millwall goalkeeper, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The 31-year-old made an outstanding save to deny Enzo Le Fee from the penalty spot on Saturday as the Gunners beat Sunderland 2-0 at the Stadium of Light.
Raya has won the Premier League golden glove for the last three consecutive seasons, and is becoming widely considered among the world's very best goalkeepers.
His big move came later than for most, however, joining Arsenal from Brentford in 2023 for a fee in the region of just £27million.
He has taken full advantage since making it, and with his contract set to expire in 2028, a new bumper deal is undoubtedly on the horizon.
David Raya 'at the height of his goalkeeping'
Raya was born in Barcelona and his career began in Spain, until 2012, when Blackburn Rovers signed him to their Under-18s.
The young goalkeeper would make his senior debut as a 19-year-old in 2015, having spent the first six months of that season with National League side Southport.
Goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana was keen to bring Raya to Brentford after his 2018 appointment, but would spend just six months with him before Mikel Arteta took him to Arsenal.
Cana got his wish of working with the Spaniard eventually with the Gunners, and he has only continued to improve since.
"I had a little look back on his career, and I mean, up until 2019, he was a Blackburn and he was on loan to Southport. Can you believe that? He was on loan to Southport before he came to Brentford," King told Football Insider.
"And do you know what? The first time I saw him at Brentford, I thought, what a goalkeeper, because the one thing he was doing which I hadn't seen for a long time, I hadn't seen it since [Dean] Henderson was on loan at Sheffield United, from Man United. He was making saves and holding on to balls.
"Nothing was coming off him, and his work in the 18-yard box and outside of it, he was sharp, he was quick, he was bright. He was on loan to Arsenal first, wasn't he? You know, he's been around a fair while. Now, all of a sudden, he's playing in a good team.
"Even in a good team, how many times have you seen a 0-0, and the goalkeepers have been the best players? And Raya, for me, he isn't the biggest, but my God, he's a very, very good goalkeeper.
"At this moment in time, looking at his all-round play, he's certainly in the top two. I don't think I could say who's close to him, to be honest. But he is, without doubt, a major factor in Arsenal winning that championship.
"He's 31 now, he's at the height of his goalkeeping. If you're fortunate, you've got another five years out of him."
Is Raya the best in the world?
With each and every performance, it becomes harder to argue against Raya being the best goalkeeper in world football.
His closest competition likely exists in the form of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Thibaut Courtois, but currently, neither goalkeeper is performing close to the level of the Arsenal man.
Raya is 31 and in the coming years, the likes of Donnarumma and Joan Garcia will likely surpass him.
But by the time that happens, the Spaniard may well have gone down among the best goalkeepers, not only in Premier League history, but potentially of all time.