League One side Stevenage are in talks with Arsenal to sign reserve goalkeeper Tommy Setford on loan in the final hours of the window.
According to Sami Mokbel on BBC Sport, the Gunners and Stevenage are in discussions to find a solution for Setford after the highly rated stopper’s expected loan move to Spain collapsed.
The highly rated keeper has established himself as third-choice stopper for Mikel Arteta’s first team, making two senior appearances in two years. The first came in the 2024/25 season in the EFL Cup, while last season he played against Wigan in the FA Cup. Arsenal rate Setford highly, with some quarters predicting he could become a future No. 1 at the Emirates.
However, Arteta and the club are eager for Setford to get regular first-team football to aid his development. For that, they had been considering a loan deal, as Sam Dean of The Telegraph earlier reported a potential move to Spanish second-division side Las Palmas.
The move collapsed after Arsenal and Las Palmas failed to reach agreement. With the transfer deadline fast approaching, the Gunners are eager to find an alternative for Setford’s season. Stevenage’s late interest comes as Stevenage goalkeeper Filip Marschall attracts interest from Millwall on the final day of the window.
Arsenal want Setford to gain regular game time before returning to the club next summer. League One is the only realistic option remaining, and should talks progress well, the youngster is expected to join Stevenage before the window closes, pending agreement on personal terms and conditions between the clubs.
Could Arsenal have kept Setford?
Over the 2025/26 season and to some extent in the one before last, Arsenal have kept Setford closer to the first-team action without actually giving him any game time. Earlier in the window, the Gunners signed Illan Meslier from Leeds United on a Bosman deal, and the Frenchman was seen as a third-choice stopper, which was a big enough indication that Setford might depart.
However, in recent days reports of Marseille’s potential interest in Meslier emerged, and while the club are not planning to let the Frenchman go, there might have been brief a chance for Setford to stay on at Arsenal. However, he is now expected to join Stevenage depending on how the talks progress between the clubs, although it is the correct decision for the club to allow the talented keeper to depart on loan.
