Report: Tottenham keeping tabs on Ajax 18-year-old who can play for England

According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on Ajax wonderkid Charlie Setford, but so are Premier League rivals Everton, Borussia Dortmund and AS Roma.

Setford is eligible to play for England, and has represented them at U16 and U18 level already, but has also turned out for the Netherlands at U15 and U16 (Transfermarkt).

Fabio Paratici
(Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

The 18-year-old was born in Harleem, Netherlands, but is also half English and so can opt to play for either nation when the time comes for him to step up to the senior national squad.

Setford has developed through Ajax’s famous youth system, and has made three appearances for the Ajax U18s this season (Transfermarkt), having just recovered from a fractured hand. Last season, however, Setford was making the bench for the Ajax first team (Transfermarkt).

Despite never making an appearance for the Ajax senior side, Setford is highly regarded across Europe and by the sounds of it, scouts have been keeping a close eye on him.

The goalkeeper comes to the end of his contract at the end of this season (Transfermarkt) and is therefore able to speak to other clubs outside of the Netherlands in January, with a view to organising a summer transfer.

According to the report from the Daily Mail, Setford has his sights set on a move to the Premier League and intends to pursue international ambitions with England, too.

With Spurs potentially looking to replace Hugo Lloris in the summer (Evening Standard), we know there is a desire to bring in a new goalkeeper, but whether this unproven 18-year-old would be the one to replace Lloris is unlikely.

Spurs Web Opinion

It’s good to see Spurs looking to the future and earmarking top talent to boost our prospects in the youth teams. Setford sounds like a top talent, and it would be great to bring him in, but whether it would be the right move for him is another matter. If he wants first-team football, I can’t see him coming to Spurs and being the new number one.

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