Riccardo Calafiori is set to undergo a medical at Arsenal and may soon join the Gunners’ pre-season training camp in the United States.
According to Sky Sports News, the Italian defender is on the verge of completing a £42m transfer from Bologna, which will see him signing a long-term contract with the north London club.
Arsenal and Bologna have reached an agreement in principle for Calafiori’s transfer. However, the deal hinges on the defender passing a medical before he can officially join the Gunners.
Calafiori, who is versatile enough to play both centre-back and left-back, could link up with Arsenal’s squad during their USA pre-season tour if the transfer is finalized promptly.
Another Premier League club, along with Juventus and Real Madrid, attempted to sign Calafiori within the last ten days.
On the Transfer Talk Podcast, Sam Tighe elaborates on why Riccardo Calafiori is an ideal fit for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.
Calafiori was determined to move to Arsenal, committing to join the Gunners.
His representative, Alessandro Lucci of World Soccer Agency, facilitated negotiations between the two clubs over the past month to finalize the deal.
Bologna had acquired Calafiori from Swiss club Basel last summer for €4m, £3.4m, with Basel entitled to 50 percent of Bologna’s profit from any subsequent sale.
The primary question now is how Calafiori will integrate into Arsenal’s lineup. It will be challenging to replace the first-choice centre-back duo of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, who have played together 79 times over the past two seasons.
Despite boasting the meanest defense in the Premier League last season with just 29 goals conceded, Arsenal still sees room for improvement, particularly at left-back.
None of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior, or Takehiro Tomiyasu consistently claimed the position last season, and Jurrien Timber, who began the previous campaign in that role, is only now returning from a serious knee injury.
Arsenal’s defensive prowess last season, including a club record of 18 clean sheets and only 29 goals conceded, reflects Mikel Arteta’s strategy of building the team from the back. This approach continues with the acquisition of Calafiori.
Since Arteta’s tenure, 18 of Arsenal’s 24 first-team signings have been goalkeepers, defenders, or defensive midfielders, with
