After Raya: Arsenal must give “their best Emirates-era” signing a pay rise

In stark distinction to the final worldwide break, there’s a real feel-good ambiance round Arsenal for the time being.

As an alternative of going into the lengthy break off the again of a devastating loss at Anfield, the Gunners are sitting fairly on the prime of the Premier League desk due to a routine win over West Ham United and Chelsea scoring a last-minute winner to take all three factors off Liverpool.

Furthermore, there may be now speak of the Emirates’ capability being expanded within the not-too-distant future, and in but extra excellent news, David Raya is reportedly getting a pay rise to replicate his significance to the squad.

The Spaniard greater than deserves his new phrases, however he is not the one participant in Mikel Arteta’s squad who ought to be getting a brand new contract.

Why Raya deserves a pay rise

Curiously, whereas experiences about Raya’s new fee phrases point out the inclusion of an optionally available yr in his contract, it’s fairly clear that this new deal doesn’t really improve the variety of customary years the Spaniard has left on the membership.

That may sound relatively odd to some, and there may be actually an argument to be made that it’s, however there are just a few the reason why this pay rise greater than is smart.

Firstly, in contrast to when the previous Brentford ace was first signed and there was a component of doubt over who could be the membership’s beginning goalkeeper between him and Aaron Ramsdale, he’s now clearly one of many first names on the workforce sheet.

Due to this fact, it is solely proper that his wage displays his true significance to the squad. On the £100k-per-week he was incomes earlier than these new phrases, he was making lower than 14 different gamers, together with Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli, and Noni Madueke.

Second, along with beginning most video games for the aspect, the 30-year-old is undoubtedly one of many highest in his place within the Premier League, if not Europe.

For instance, he is gained the league’s Golden Glove award in each of the final two seasons, and based on FBref, he sits within the prime 4% of keepers in Europe’s prime 5 leagues for proportion of crosses stopped, the highest 7% for clear sheets, the highest 8% for save proportion and extra, all per 90.

Lastly, from a purely social perspective, it retains him joyful and exhibits the opposite gamers that constant outcomes shall be rewarded, which in flip helps foster a greater ambiance.

With all that mentioned, there may be one other participant within the squad who deserves the identical remedy.

The Arsenal star who deserves a increase like Raya

The nice factor for Arteta and Arsenal is that, following the slew of recent offers agreed in the summertime, there aren’t many gamers who’d have the ability to declare they’re at the moment underpaid within the squad.

Nevertheless, there may be one worldwide who may make that argument, somebody who on the very least deserves a increase, if not a brand new deal: Jurrien Timber.

Sure, the previous Ajax gem, who joined the membership for round £38m in the summertime of 2023, is the participant maybe most deserving of recent phrases for the time being, and primarily based on experiences this month, it does seem to be he might quickly get them.

Being a right-back, and one that does not are likely to bomb ahead as a lot as a Trent Alexander-Arnold or Jermaine Frimpong, means the Dutchman would not at all times get the popularity he deserves from the broader footballing group.

However since recovering from his ACL damage, which dominated him out for just about the whole thing of the 23/24 season, the 24-year-old has been unimaginable, and this season his performances are making him tougher and tougher to miss.

Like Declan Rice in midfield and Bukayo Saka on the wing, the monstrous defender very hardly ever, if ever, places in a lower than a 7/10 efficiency and most of the time does higher than that.

Within the phrases of Arsenal podcaster Adam Keys, he is like a “dementor for wingers” due to his sensible anticipation, footballing IQ and shocking physicality. But, particularly this season, he has additionally been enhancing his attacking play, with the efficiency towards Newcastle United arguably his greatest offensive show since becoming a member of the membership.

Unsurprisingly, the Utrecht-born titan’s underlying numbers from this season greater than again up the eye-test and show that he is hitting a degree few different full-backs can.

In keeping with FBref, he sits within the prime 2% of full-backs within the Premier League for precise and anticipated non-penalty targets, shot-creating actions, progressive passes and tackles, the highest 7% for complete photographs and go completion, the highest 11% for touches within the opposition’s penalty space and extra, all per 90.

In the end, contemplating all elements, it is exhausting to disagree with revered analyst Ben Mattinson’s declare that Timber is “probably the greatest Emirates-era signings.”

Due to this fact, like Raya, he ought to be getting a pay rise as quickly as potential, or higher but, a brand new contract altogether.