Gary Neville reveals why Man Utd rejected his request to sign Arsenal star

Gary Neville made a recommendation to Manchester United (Picture: Getty)

Gary Neville has revealed the blunt response he received after recommending Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya to Manchester United .

The Gunners signed Raya on loan from Premier League rivals Brentford ahead of the 2023-24 season to compete with current No. 1 Aaron Ramsdale .

Raya quickly displaced the England international as Mikel Arteta’s first-choice goalkeeper and earned a permanent move to the Emirates Stadium worth £27m .

Given his rise in north London, Raya is now considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world .

Neville was impressed by Raya’s form while he was at Brentford and even recommended the goalkeeper to his former club Manchester United.

But the Red Devils, who remain in desperate need of a new goalkeeper , felt Raya was not good enough with his feet to join the club.

‘Do you remember when Arsenal got David Raya? I mentioned him to someone at Manchester United,’ Neville said on The Overlap .

Arsenal star David Raya (Picture: Getty)

‘I had watched him quite a bit for Brentford and I thought he looked a good goalkeeper and they said, “he’s not good enough with his feet.”

‘The person I spoke to at United said that. They said we looked at him but there were concerns about his feet.

‘I remember I was talking to them before a game. I watched David Raya a lot and I thought he was pretty good… he saves a lot of shots, he’s dominant and brave.

‘But they said he’s not good enough for his feet.’

Current Old Trafford goalkeepers Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir (Picture: Getty)

Current Manchester United No. 1 Andre Onana made another mistake in the embarrassing Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town on Wednesday night.

It was Onana’s first start of the season after Altay Bayindir started the Premier League games against Arsenal and Fulham.

Bayindir himself made an error in the opening-day defeat to Arsenal before enduring some shaky moments against Fulham .

Onana and Bayindir’s worrying form has led Manchester United to pursue another goalkeeper before the summer transfer window shuts on Monday evening.

Manchester United lost to Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup (Picture: Getty)

The Red Devils are in talks to sign Senne Lammens from Belgian side Royal Antwerp , having seemingly decided not to pursue Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The Euros and Champions League winner has been put up for sale by PSG and is open to a move to the Premier League, with Manchester City the current favourites to secure his signature .

But Old Trafford legend Dwight Yorke has urged his former club to reconsider their stance on signing Donnarumma.

‘Manchester United should always be linked with the very best,’ he told Jackpot City Casino . ‘Gianluigi Donnarumma is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, if not in the top two, top three in the world currently.

‘You need that presence, you need those personalities. Goalkeepers make a huge difference, they are a key element in a team.

‘You want someone who is absolutely accomplished, competent, reliable. Donnarumma is all of the above.

‘Ideally, they can get him in, but they’re talking about the PSR, I think that comes into play. And obviously, his wages and all that as well are a factor.

‘To move on Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir would be a challenge, but ideally, I’m sure everybody would be delighted if we got Donnarumma on our roster.’