In an interview with El Partizado, Courtois named Raya as one of the top three keepers in the world currently, saying: “Oblak is playing at a very high level this year. I really like Allison, even though he’s injured. And I also really like David Raya.”

He added: “Arsenal are having a great season, they’re conceding very few goals and Raya already had a great season last year.”

However Courtois believes Raya will have to work hard if he has to usurp Simon and that is a part of healthy competition. 

“Although Unai is also a great goalkeeper and is performing extremely well for the national team, so he deserves to keep playing,” he added. “That’s football and competition for you. I think Luis de la Fuente is clear about this and Raya will have to wait for his chance. But it’s healthy competition, especially in goal, because if you concede two goals, the manager can’t hesitate and it’s always more difficult to substitute one player.” 

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