Arsenal have been making changes to their goalkeeping department this summer, and in continuation with the trend the club is now close to signing Ajax’s young shot-stopper Tommy Setford.
Tommy Setford on the Brink of Joining Arsenal
🚨 EXCL: Arsenal strike agreement with Ajax to sign goalkeeper Tommy Setford. Fee for 18yo #Ajax talent & England youth international around €1m + add-ons. Highly-rated prospect expected to join on initial 4yr contract to bolster #AFC ranks @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/pZR81bIFXc
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 14, 2024
The Latest Addition to Arsenal Goalkeepers’ List
According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Arsenal have reached an agreement with Dutch giants Ajax to sign Setford. The transfer fee is expected to be slightly less than £1 million, plus add-ons. The 18-year-old will sign a four-year contract to keep him at the Emirates until 2028.
It was reported a few days back that Arsenal had begun talks to sign Setford. And by the looks of things, those talks have come to fruition. Fabrizio Romano, in a further update on the transfer, has revealed that Setford will undergo a medical with Arsenal early this week.
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Setford followed in the footsteps of his brother Charlie by joining the Ajax youth team in 2013 as a U8 player. Describing his playing style as “intuitive”, he said: “I play more based on intuition. Nevertheless, I often make the right choice when I’m in goal.”
Setford is Arsenal’s second goalkeeper to be signed in this transfer window after Lucas Nygaard, who joined in June 2024.
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Which Country Does Setford Represent?
At the national level, Setford is eligible to play for both England and the Netherlands. But he chose the former option, the country which his father is from.
His talent is so well recognized in Holland that the KNVB tried to convince him to sport the Dutch jersey. But the player professed his loyalty to England. He said: “It’s a great honor to play for England. It’s the land my father’s from, so I play for him a little. But they appreciate me at England: the coaches and goalkeeper coaches are happy with how I do things.”
Setford also represented England in the 2023 U17 World Cup in Indonesia, where he helped his team reach the knockout stages. However, the Three Lions were eliminated by Uzbekistan in the Round of 16.
