Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool battle for Ajax wonderkid duo

Willem Leijgraf

Updated: 29 Nov 2023 18:18 GMT
3 min read

Ajax could lose not one but two talented goalkeepers to the Premier League, according to a report.

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Both Charlie (19) and Tommy Setford (17) have aroused interest from England. The former currently plays for Jong Ajax, while the youngest plays for Ajax's Under 18s.

According to TEAMtalk, Charlie Setford is being tracked by the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and West Ham United.

The 19-year-old shot-stopper signed a new contract in Amsterdam last summer. He is still contracted until 2027, while he was already subject to interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Dortmund, Everton, AS Roma and Southampton in December 2022.

This angle of England U18 Charlie Setford’s penalty save vs Belgium 😍 pic.twitter.com/X1uWdvA7gW
— Rising Ballers (@RisingBallers_) November 16, 2021

Double swoop?

In addition to Charlie, Ajax could also lose Tommy Setford to an English club. The 17-year-old goalkeeper is said to have attracted the interest of Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and also Chelsea. He signed his first professional contract in Amsterdam in June 2022 and is currently contracted until 2025.

In Amsterdam, Ajax strengthened their goalkeeper department over the summer with Diant Ramaj, who is currently the first choice of coach John van 't Schip. The Amsterdam team also has Gerónimo Rulli, Jay Gorter and Remko Pasveer in their ranks.

Charlie Setford is currently the first-choice goalkeeper at Jong Ajax, where he has played 13 matches this season. He conceded 27 goals and kept his goal clean three times.

Both Charlie and Tommy are part of England's youth setup, with the former previously featuring for the U18s, while the latter was part of the squad that recently went to the U17 World Cup in Indonesia.

While the youngsters are players for the future, it's not surprising that the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal are interested. Chelsea signed two goalkeepers in the summer but have still frequently been linked with players in that position.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have endured some upheaval between the sticks because of the signing of David Raya. Aaron Ramsdale has lost his starting spot and will likely depart the club in 2024.