Thierry Henry tips “oustanding” Arsenal bargain signing to win player of the season
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has backed goalkeeper David Raya to win Player of the season award after his impressive performances.
When an iconic, record-breaking striker starts campaigning for a goalkeeper to win top individual honors, you know he has been special.
Following Arsenal’s comfortable 2-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, which safely booked their ticket to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 3-1 aggregate win, Henry used his punditry platform on CBS Sports to give the Gunners’ number one his absolute flowers.
While the usual suspects like Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes are constantly dominating the Premier League Player of the Season debates, Henry firmly believes the man between the sticks is the unsung hero keeping Arsenal’s historic season rolling.
“This guy should be in contention to be player of the season because of what he does for Arsenal every single time,” Henry stated on the broadcast, as reported by Metro.
Raya is a £27 Million masterstroke by Arsenal
Remember when Mikel Arteta’s decision to replace Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya sparked endless, heated debates across the Arsenal fanbase and media? Well, nobody is arguing anymore.
Securing the Spanish international permanently from Brentford for a reported £27 million is looking like a bargain now.
He has been consistent for the Gunners and some of the saves he has made this season have been absolutely world class.
Raya has been an absolute brick wall for Arteta’s side during this 2025/26 campaign.
With Arsenal currently sitting at the top of the Premier League, preparing for a Carabao Cup final, and pushing deep into both the FA Cup and Europe, Raya’s elite distribution and sweeping abilities have been the ultimate safety net.
Henry continued:
“It’s very difficult sometimes to see what a goalkeeper does but he cannot make you win the game. He can make you hope that you’re not losing it by making saves but he does that two to three times every single game. It’s just outstanding.”
Can Raya win the Player of the season?
He deserves to be in the conversation but the oustanding favourite has to be Rice.
The midfielder has been the most consistent player for Arteta’s team and his performances have been widely praised by players and pundits.
He commands authority in the midfield and plays the leadership role well, despite not wearing the captain’s armband at the club.
As for Raya, another Golden Glove is looking highly likely this season and he can easily earn a place in the Team of the season.
Report: La Liga giants closely monitoring attacking Arsenal duo
The post Thierry Henry tips “oustanding” Arsenal bargain signing to win player of the season appeared first on CaughtOffside.