Charlie Mulgrew has revealed he recommended Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya to Rangers when the Ibrox club was searching for a new shot-stopper. Mulgrew, who played alongside Raya at Blackburn Rovers, put his former teammate's name forward to Rangers goalkeeping coach Jim Stewart, who also worked with the Scotland national team.
Mulgrew's Recommendation to Rangers
Speaking about the recommendation, Mulgrew said: 'I actually recommended him to the Scotland goalkeeping coach who at the time was at Rangers, and I recommended him. He mentioned he needed a goalie and I said, “Our goalie at Blackburn's really good, young guy coming through, David Raya.”'
Despite Mulgrew's endorsement, Rangers did not pursue the signing. Raya moved on to Brentford for a fee of £2.5 million, a transfer that Mulgrew still finds astonishing given the goalkeeper's subsequent rise.
Raya's Rise to the Top
Raya joined Arsenal from Brentford in 2023 and has since become the Gunners' first-choice goalkeeper under Mikel Arteta. He played a pivotal role in Arsenal's Premier League title win last season and helped the club reach the Champions League final, where they lost on penalties to Paris-Saint Germain.
Mulgrew admitted he never anticipated Raya reaching such heights: 'I wouldn't have seen David Raya doing what he has done. He was a really good goalie, but I didn't think he would ever be at Arsenal and one of the best goalkeepers in the world, playing in a team like that.'
Surprise at Low Transfer Fee
The former Celtic defender expressed disbelief that Blackburn allowed Raya to leave for such a modest sum: 'And then we sold him to Brentford for two and a half million, which I couldn't actually believe that we'd let him go for that little money.'
Mulgrew attributed the low fee to differing opinions within football: 'It just shows you that one guy who doesn't quite fancy you is just one person's opinion, and then he goes and gets a move to Arsenal and he's been brilliant.'
Respect for Raya's Confidence
Despite the missed opportunity for Rangers, Mulgrew holds great respect for Raya: 'So yeah, a lot of respect for David and he always had that confidence that he could get to the top. You always felt that from him and he's gone and done it.'
Charlie Mulgrew was speaking via BoyleSports, who offer the latest World Cup betting.
