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<\/p>\nSpain have a host of quality goalkeepers in their ranks and, even though Unai Simon is No 1, Luis de la Fuente believes more needs to be made about the brilliance of Arsenal’s David Raya<\/p>\n
Luis de la Fuente has stood up for the quality of Arsenal’s David Raya<\/p>\n
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has questioned why there is not more noise about David Raya<\/a> being the country’s No 1 as he claimed “nobody talks about him”.<\/p>\n The Arsenal<\/a> goalkeeper has established himself as the first choice at the Emirates after joining the club in 2023 from Brentford. He’s now crucial to their ambitions and could end the season as a Premier League<\/a> winner.<\/p>\n With his country he faces some serious competition in the form of Athletic Bilbao\u2019s Unai Simon, Barcelona<\/a> \u2019s Joan Garcia and Real Sociedad\u2019s Alex Remiro.<\/p>\n Simon has been Spain’s first choice for several years and it was he who started two summers ago when the Spanish claimed Euro 2024 glory<\/a>, conceding four times in the seven games en route to glory. He remains the No 1 but De la Fuente believes more credit needs to be given to Raya as a credible alternative.<\/p>\n He said: “It would be unfair if we didn\u2019t value Unai\u2019s quality, class, career, and professional experience. It would be absurd for me to have to come here and reaffirm it, just because he\u2019s Unai Simon. When a goalkeeper is at this level, you have to respect his standing and his career.<\/p>\n READ MORE: 11 Premier League teams can all end up in Europe next season and cause fixture chaos<\/a>READ MORE: Arsenal news: Striker set for huge new offer as summer transfer priority identified<\/a><\/p>\n “Besides, we have David Raya, who I\u2019m eager for you to ask me about. In England, they consider him the best goalkeeper in the world<\/a>, and here nobody talks about him. The same goes for Joan Garcia and Alex Remiro, let\u2019s be fair. But Unai Simon is indisputable. The others have a lot of talent and class, but everything in its own time.”<\/p>\n Simon was given a full 90 minutes on Friday night as La Roja sealed a 3-0 friendly win against Serbia. Raya and Remiro were both on the bench, but with another game to come on Tuesday against Egypt a switch could be made to give someone else the chance to impress.<\/p>\n David Raya is looking to push for the Spain No 1 spot<\/p>\n De La Fuente accepts he needs to tread carefully around switching his goalkeeper, which is such a specialist position and so closely linked to confidence and security.<\/p>\n “The best news is that I have no doubts at all,” he said. “I have complete confidence in them. There\u2019s something special about them. The best news is seeing that all four goalkeepers, regardless of who was left out, embraced each other and are encouraging one another.<\/p>\n “Unai Simon is Unai Simon, Raya is a fantastic goalkeeper, and Alex Remiro is just as good. We\u2019ll see what happens between now and Tuesday, but I have no doubts. My only regret is leaving one out.”<\/p>\n Join our new WhatsApp community<\/a> and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us – and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice<\/a>.<\/p>\n England’s 2026 World Cup kits<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more<\/a> Various Prices<\/p>\n England Official Store<\/p>\n![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0_GettyImages-2268218267.jpg\")
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