Arsenal CONFIRM signing of Ajax wonderkid

Cameron Smith

• 21 Jul 2024 14:45 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal have completed the signing of Ajax goalkeeper Tommy Setford.

Setford, an England U20 international, is believed to have signed a four-year contract at the Emirates Stadium and he will initially join the club’s academy system.

The 18-year-old spent last season in Ajax’s U18 side and he is expected to be integrated into Arsenal’s U21 team during his debut campaign in north London.

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Setford is the third goalkeeper to join Arsenal this summer, following the arrivals of David Raya and Lucas Nygaard.

Raya’s loan move from Brentford has been made permanent for €31.9 million, while Nygaard has joined Arsenal’s academy from FC Nordsjaelland.

Arteta’s side are also expected to sign Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori. An agreement has been reached and the Italy international is set to be announced as an Arsenal player in the coming days.

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What has been said?

Upon confirmation of his move to Arsenal, Setford told the club’s website: “I want to thank Arsenal for this opportunity. I can’t wait to hit the ground running.

“I already know Ethan [Nwnaeri] and Myles [Lewis-Skelly]. They’re great guys and I can have a good laugh with them. I spent a few camps with them, so I know them well. I just saw them for a quick meet and greet!

“I’m looking forward to learning new things next season and pushing myself to another level. For the short term, it’s very important now to get a feel for the group and start to know everyone.”

Per Mertesacker, Arsenal’s Academy Manager, added: “We welcome Tommy to Arsenal. He is a young goalkeeper with big potential and we look forward to supporting his development in the coming years.

“The first step on Tommy’s development pathway with us will be to integrate into our under-21s academy group and train regularly with our first team goalkeeping group.”