Arsenal could throw the future of their talented young goalkeeper Tommy Setford into question if they follow through with new signing
Arsenal have a decision to make should Kepa Arrizabalaga leave the club this summer. There is understood to be a £5million release clause in his deal, the same which the Gunners activated when he was at Chelsea to sign him last summer.
The Spaniard was the cup goalkeeper for the Gunners but failed to impress and made some high-profile mistakes. The most notorious being against Manchester City in the League Cup final.
Arsenal’s current third-choice keeper is Tommy Setford. The former Ajax stopper was signed for less than £1million from the Dutch side in 2024 and has since made two senior appearances for the club, including a start in the League Cup win over Preston North End.
FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
“I think everybody has to feel that he’s got a chance, and if there are players, one of them would be Tommy for his attitude and the way he helps everybody every single day,” Mikel Arteta said after he was brought off the bench against Wigan Athletic in last season’s FA Cup clash. “So if we have a chance to play him in some minutes, we have to try to do it. I think he was very happy.”
However, this was his only appearance of the season, even being overlooked for the final day dead rubber against Crystal Palace. He still walked away with a Premier League winners’ medal despite not yet making an appearance in the competition.
If Kepa is to leave this summer, with links already emerging to potential replacements, the suggestions are that, for now, he would remain the third choice. Now 20 years old, Setford’s current deal expires in 2028, meaning he is at the two-year threshold at which players typically make decisions about their own futures.
Many have called for Setford to be given the chance of being the number two. Easier said than done, and others might point to the potential of a David Raya injury, then thrusting a keeper with zero Premier League appearances into the limelight without further exposure.
