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Reports state that ARSENAL and AJAX goalkeeper Tommy Setford have reached an agreement.
The 18-year-old, who was born in Haarlem, the Netherlands, has played youth international football for England, most notably for the under-20 team.
According to The Athletic, Arsenal will pay Ajax a sum of about £1 million, which might increase with add-ons.
Setford will also agree to a four-year deal with the team.
The young player will join the Gunners as part of the team’s larger goalkeeping restructuring.
The Gunners will all need to be replaced because youth keepers Ovie Ejeheri, James Hillson, and Arthur Okonkwo were all released this summer.
Additionally, they hope to drastically alter their senior keepers.
The Gunners seek to recover as much of the £30 million they paid Sheffield United for Aaron Ramsdale in 2021 by selling him this summer.
After David Raya took over as the starting quarterback last season, Ramsdale, 26, wants to quit.
Southampton is one of the teams that is interested in Ramsdale, but both would find it difficult to meet Ramsdale’s £120,000 weekly salary and Arsenal’s £30 million asking price.
Saints are far more likely to prefer a loan arrangement, even though Arsenal would like to sell in order to strengthen their PSR position.
If Ramsdale’s worth is best served by playing first team minutes and Arsenal is unable to find a buyer for him, then a loan might be an option later in the transfer window.
The ideal situation for Arsenal would be to replace David Raya with a new backup, and Joan Garcia of Espanyol is one possibility they are looking at.
If something were to happen to Raya or Garcia, they would then want to sign Wolves’ thirty-year-old Dan Bentley as their new third-choice keeper.
Stetford will probably make his way through the ranks by playing for Arsenal’s u21 team.
