In a recent tweet, journalist Fabrizio Romano offered an update on Arsenal and their pursuit of Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori. It has been revealed that the Gunners have agreed on personal terms with the Italy international but have still not agreed on a fee with Bologna for their prized asset.
Calafiori’s Impressive Form In Serie A
Calafiori enjoyed a solid campaign at the Italian club as he put in a series of impressive displays on the right side of their defence. The 22-year-old found the back of the net twice and earned five assists in 37 matches for Bologna last season in all competitions.
The Roma-born talent has been a decent defender inside his half based on his average of 1.6 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 2.5 clearances, 0.6 shots and 0.6 key passes per game in Serie A. He has even been accurate when distributing possession from the back, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 89.8% in the top tier of Italian football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at the Italian club will run out in the summer of 2027. Therefore, Arsenal would have to launch a convincing offer if they are serious about recruiting Calafiori this off-season.
Is Calafiori A Good Signing For Arsenal Boss Mikel Arteta?
Calafiori is a tough-tackling defender who can time his challenges well to secure the ball back for his team inside his half. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when the oppostion are on the front foot. He is a tidy passer of the ball but needs to work on improving his contributions on the offensive end of the pitch.
We can expect Calafiori to enhance the quality of Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta’s midfield. The Italian talent might even help the Gunners compete for a lot of major trophies over the next few years.
At 22, Calafiori has the potential to be a future star in European football. Therefore, the North London club should consider going all out to recruit him before the end of this transfer window.
However, there are some concerns over whether Calafiori can cope with the physical side and high intensity of Premier League football. Still, he would be an excellent signing for the Gunners if Arteta can devise a way of bringing him to the Emirates Stadium later this year.
