Arsenal star 'ignored' by Spanish media despite sensational Gunners form, claims Luis de la Fuente

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has said that Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya is viewed very differently in his homeland than he is in English football.

Raya has been an outstanding performer for Arsenal this season, with the 30-year-old playing a major role in the Gunners being top of the Premier League table heading into the final straight.

The goalkeeper is not first choice for his country, though, with Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon in charge of the gloves heading towards the 2026 World Cup.

A strong Spanish goalkeeping department also includes Barcelona's Joan Garcia and Real Sociedad's Alex Remiro, showing the options available to De la Fuente.

Raya is viewed in England as one of the best stoppers in world football, but according to De la Fuente, that is not a view widely shared in Spain.

De la Fuente 'surprised' there is not more talk surrounding Raya's position with Spain

"It would be unfair if we didn’t value Unai’s quality, class, career, and professional experience. It would be absurd for me to have to come here and reaffirm it, just because he’s Unai Simon," De la Fuente told reporters.

"When a goalkeeper is at this level, you have to respect his standing and his career.

"Besides, we have David Raya, who I’m eager for you to ask me about. In England, they consider him the best goalkeeper in the world, and here nobody talks about him.

"The same goes for Joan Garcia and Alex Remiro, let’s be fair. But Unai Simon is indisputable. The others have a lot of talent and class, but everything in its own time."

Raya has been outstanding for Arsenal this season

Raya has been capped on 11 occasions by Spain, but he has not played a single minute for his country since a UEFA Nations League game with Denmark in November 2024.

Simon is regarded as the number one, and that will remain the case unless the Athletic stopper picks up an injury that forces him to miss the World Cup.

Raya was an unused substitute on Friday night, as Spain continued their preparations for this summer's tournament with a 3-0 success over Serbia in a friendly match.

Simon played the full 90 minutes against Serbia, and it remains to be seen whether a change is made between the sticks for the friendly against Egypt on Tuesday night.