Arsenal confirm signing of goalkeeper ‘with big potential’ from Ajax

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of teenage goalkeeper Tommy Setford from Ajax on a permanent deal.

The 18-year-old has been capped for England at Under-17, Under-18 and Under-19 level, but has spent his young career so far at Ajax.

Setford was born in the Netherlands and has come through the youth ranks at the iconic Dutch club.

The teenager has signed a four-year contract with the Gunners and is excited about his new journey, alongside some familiar faces from England youth teams.

‘I want to thank Arsenal for this opportunity. I can’t wait to hit the ground running,’ said Setford.

‘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.’

Academy manager Per Mertesacker said: ‘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.’

The Evening Standard report that the deal is worth around €1million (£840,000).

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