Arsenal and Ajax have announced a deal for goalkeeper Tommy Setford to move to North London.
After negotiations, the England Under-20 international will move to the Emirates Stadium this summer. The two clubs have settled on a fee of around €1 million plus additional bonuses. Setford is anticipated to sign a four-year contract initially.
Setford, 18, is highly valued and has progressed through the youth academy at Ajax. He has been a part of the England youth teams since under-16 level and has continued his progress in Amsterdam but will now be plying his trade in North London.
Arsenal are revamping their academy goalkeeping situation after they released Ovie Ejeheri, James Hillson, and Arthur Okonkwo this summer. The club have been actively adding new faces to their goalkeeping department and Setford is one that has come as a welcome opportunity for all inside Arsenal.
Setford's arrival could also pave the way for 22-year-old Karl Hein, who has just signed a new contract with the club, to go out on loan next season.
But who is Tommy Setford and why were Mikel Arteta and his academy staff so keen on bringing him in?
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Who is Tommy Setford?
As previously mentioned Setford is an 18-year-old England Under-20 international, who has played at every youth age group for his national team since the under-16s. His older brother, Charlie Setford, has also been part of the Ajax youth set-up, and is currently playing for Jong Ajax - the Dutch giants' reserve team.
Tommy, born in the Dutch city of Haarlem, had been slowly following in his brother’s footsteps before his fresh move to England, after being part of the Ajax academy since the age of eight. Born to an English father, both brothers are eligible to represent the Three Lions at international level.
Setford was into the last year of his contract at Ajax and the Dutch club have reluctantly agreed to let him go instead of him leaving for free next summer.
The 18-year-old is considered to have a promising future ahead of him and will be the second young goalkeeper Arsenal have signed this summer - following the acquisition of Lucas Nygaard from Danish club FC Nordsjaelland last month.
Tommy has progressed through the youth system in the Netherlands, becoming a regular for the under-18s - making 33 appearances and keeping 14 clean sheets in the process.
Although his development was slowed by a wrist fracture during the 2022-23 season, he still managed to secure six clean sheets in 15 games across all competitions in the following season. Additionally, he made the bench for the under-21s in the Dutch second division, the Keuken Kampioen Divisie.
At six foot one inch tall, Setford is not the most physically imposing goalkeeper, which might make him susceptible to challenges during set-pieces. However, he is slightly taller than Arsenal's current number one, David Raya, who is exceptional at catching crosses.
A right-footed goalkeeper who has excellent distribution when given time and space, especially playing longer balls, it is clear to see why Mikel Arteta and his academy staff would have had an eye on the England youth star.
Everyone knows former Arsenal number one Aaron Ramsdale was dropped last season due to his Spanish counterpart having superior footwork and distribution, this will only benefit Setford and will be something he can improve even more on going forward.
In terms of goalkeeping fundamentals, such as shot-stopping, Setford excels at spreading himself to block close-range attempts. He also demonstrates exceptional agility, strong anticipation, and good handling skills.
An area he may look to improve in is his starting position, allowing himself more time to come out of his box and clear balls that are put over the top of his defence. He occasionally looks to be in a rush due to starting deeper than he should, meaning a higher starting point will allow him more time to pick out a pass rather than go longer with the ball.
This is an exciting move for both Arsenal and Setford. Low risk and potentially high reward for the Gunners, and, for Setford, it is a chance to start something new in an environment where many others are already thriving.
It may be some time before we see Tommy near the first-team considering he is still only 18 years of age - but the future is bright and, if he continues his rapid rise, it may come sooner than we all think.
