Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Ajax goalkeeper Tommy Setford, showing a willingness to pay a little more than required to get him now.
That’s according to De Telegraaf, who report that the player has also reached an agreement with Arsenal on a contract until the summer of 2028.
The newspaper reports that Arsenal and Ajax have agreed on the ‘buyout fee’ for Setford, whose current contract is set to run until the summer of 2025.
The two clubs are still getting the paperwork in order for the move to take place, with Arsenal offering €400,000 plus bonuses for the 18-year-old goalkeeper.
That was equal to the amount Ajax would have received in training rights for the player if Setford had departed next summer on a free transfer. Crucially, though, the Dutch giants will now be getting bonuses on top of that.
They’re pleased with how negotiations have gone, managing to extract a few extra hundred thousand Euros from the deal to act as a ‘band-aid on a sore wound’ for them.
Setford is keen on the move to Arsenal as it will unite him with the goalkeeper coach he works with in England’s youth ranks, while he has also been offered an attractive sporting project that is ‘tailor-made’ for him in the long-term.
Now all that needs to be sorted is the paperwork, with an agreement in place and Arsenal agreeing to pay a little more to get matters over the line.
