Arsenal are set to sign another goalkeeper, with 18 year old Tommy Setford set to join the club – reports David Ornstein.
🚨 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 England youth international has come through the Ajax academy, and will follow the path of players like Jurrien Timber, Marc Overmars and Kanu by swapping Amsterdam for North London.
The Gunners are seeking reinforcements in the goalkeeping position as Aaron Ramsdale is expected to leave this summer, while Karl Hein will go out on loan as part of the arrangement made when he signed a new contract a few weeks ago.
With David Raya now the established number 1, the club have been pushing to sort out the goalkeeping roster, and last week had a bid for Wolves’ Dan Bentley rejected.
Ramsdale, meanwhile, is reportedly of interest to newly promoted Southampton, but it remains to be seen where his future lies. The 25 year old is currently with England, who face Spain in the final of Euro 2024 this evening, but he and Raya are likely to be observers rather than participants in the game with Jordan Pickford and Unai Simon the respective number 1s.
Are we collecting keepers like panini stickers now? My albums nearly complete Just need Jimmy Rimmer Manuel Almunia & a promising youngster from Iceland Dröpt Klanga recommended recommended by Iñaki Caña !!!!
Dröpt Klanga is a hilarious name to be fair
because 5 just went off the books
We should try and get back Fabianski as our #2, should be cheap, still a good keeper, should be happy as #2 with the odd game here and there, plenty of experience, homegrown…
Fair point
Why would he come back? To sit on the bench?
Arteta won’t play anyone but his countryman – despite what he says to the press. Wasting our talented keepers – and reducing their transfer value by not playing them!
I’d say he might come back to win a PL medal!
But I don’t see the fit stylistically. Arteta will want a backup who can play close to the same tactical role Raya does when we have the ball.
You mean, playing our best keeper? Like every other football team ever.
Don’t be silly, Arteta has to rotate the no 1 jersey between all keepers on our books from the 1st team down to the U12s, whilst simultaneously winning the treble. Otherwise he’ll get down voted.
David Raya is finished!
Not until he’s eaten all his vegetables he isn’t.
We have to sell Ramsdale, or at a minimum we have to get a loan with a cast iron obligation. We can’t be in this position again next summer, but with 2 new replacements for Ramsdale + Hein in place. Then on July 1st have Ramsdale + Hein back in the squad, giving us 5 senior keepers, and 2 young lads we’ve just bought into the youth team, one of which cost €1 million. That would be stupid AF… We should only replace Ramsdale if he leaves for good. Loaning out Sambi when Sevilla have absolutely no intention of activating… Read more »
They should clearly put you in charge, Rich.
Wow, you do seem to know lot about our inner transfer workings and details!
What is shocking for me is Southampton being in for Rambo. Surely he can go to a better club. The guy is CL quality, at least top 6.
None of them need a keeper or can afford him. Newcastle was likely the only club who could afford, and wolves are really the only other club who are looking.
Chelsea actually do need a keeper but I wouldn’t want Aaron to end up there
Why, he’s not that good
No top 5-6 team in Spain, Italy or Germany who could use him? I don’t follow those leagues anymore but find it hard to imagine *all* of those teams have keepers better than him. He might have to learn a foreign language but it beats Southampton surely…
The issue is the salary (100k) + transfer fee. Good keeper but similar options are out there for less money.
He might need to take a pay cut to play. Otherwise, better we keep him for another year and pray we get some better cup draws to give him more game time.
A loan seems most likely.
I’ve always quite liked Southampton. Produced a lot of players for us.
You say he is CL quality but he played no games at that level. I kinda wish Arteta gave him the CL group games last season, show a little more faith in him and maintain some value. Build his profile a bit also.
It’s maybe one of the few criticisms we can still hold against MA. When he looses taste for a player their values tend to tank.
What’s weird about how this particular situation was handled was that Ramsdale signed a long term deal months before the Raya transfer broke. I think what happened was they talked themselves into it: take care of your guy, protect value, build relationships/continuity… but then all of a sudden Raya was available and the opportunity to upgrade was too good to pass up. The speed with which they pivoted to Raya both in terms of getting the deal done and fully integrating as first choice indicates they didn’t really view Ramsdale as top keeper, so why extend him?
1m makes sense, if the lad is going to be the #2. I just pray we don’t give stupid money for a backup keeper.
Hm. I remember when we paid 28m for a defender that we then didn’t play for the next three seasons…
You mean the guy who has since gone on to become one of the best centre backs in world football and a fundamental piece of arguably the most defensively sound team in Europe? Oh what fools we were.
The worst part was having him play a whole season at a big French club, with lots of press scrutiny and pressure from a huge rabid fan base. Arteta out.
Indeed the french press is more subtle, refined, doesn’t create as much acidity or harshness. Personally I prefer espresso but to each their own.
That’s exactly my point.
That season in France definitely turned him from a player not good enough to get into a team finishing 5th in the league to the best defender in our squad.
And look how badly that’s worked out
He’s never played senior football, so one for the future as they say. He is a replacement for Okonkwo who left the club on a free, but the club are taking a big swing here with that fee for a youth player.
Definitely not for the first team. Be prepared for more GK transfers!
Glad to see the academy revamp in full swing. If we continue with signings like this, we should see a markable difference in quality for our U18 and U21 squad next season with Nwaneri, MLS, and (hopefully) Chido Obi being the lynchpins
COYG! Just three more Goalkeepers to go!! Let’s do this! 💪💪
COYG! Just three more Goalkeepers to go!! Let’s do this! 💪💪
I know this is tongue in cheek but that’s about right actually. Two first team keepers, one a genuine option and the other a true reserve, and one U21 GK needed too with Hein going on loan.
This lad is Setford great things.
Isn’t Setford’s signing more to do with Arsenal needing reinforcements in the academy, having released Ejeheri & Hillson, than anything to do with the first team over the next 12 months? Both him & Nygaard might get opportunities to train with the first team, but their signings have little impact on Ramsdale & Hein’s situation next season.
Another blinking mini keeper- just 6’0! I’m trying not to be picky here but has our GK coach got something against lads of 6’2 and higher: Runarsson, Rayaxabd now this young lad.
Best of luck to him and all that but one of the weapons in the keeper’s Arsenal is presenting a large barrier in a 1 v1. More likely to happen if you are Seaman than Rays ( or even Pickford
“Raya” and…..”Raya”
The only thing better than a keeper who can make those saves is one who prevents the situation from developing at all.