Tommy Setford set for medical as Arsenal agree deal with Ajax for highly-rated goalkeeper

Evening Standard

·15 July 2024

Tommy Setford set for medical as Arsenal agree deal with Ajax for highly-rated goalkeeper

Dutch giants have reluctantly agreed to sell England U20 international

The Gunners have agreed a fee of around €1million (£840,000) for the England Under-20 international, who will now finalise personal terms and undergo a medical.

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Setford was into the last year of his contract at Ajax and the Dutch club have reluctantly agreed to let him go instead of him leaving for free next summer.

The 18-year-old has been tipped for a bright future and will become the second young goalkeeper Arsenal have signed this summer, after bringing in Lucas Nygaard last month from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland.

In terms of outgoings, Arsenal are close to confirming the departures of Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares.

Lokonga has now completed a loan move to Sevilla. The deal contains the option for it to be made permanent next summer for around £10m and, if the Spanish side take that up, Arsenal will then have a sell-on clause worth 25 per cent.

Tavares is also leaving on loan, but his deal contains an obligation to be made permanent next summer and in total Arsenal will make around £7m to £7.5m from his sale.

Arsenal have also worked to include a significant sell-on clause as part of the deal and that is understood to be worth in excess of 25 per cent.

The Gunners recently saw the benefit of such clauses being in place by banking around £4m by Omari Hutchinson moving from Chelsea to Ipswich earlier this summer.

Tavares travelled to Italy over the weekend and has undergone a medical with Lazio, with his move due to be wrapped up imminently.

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