Arsenal and Serie A team Bologna have reached an agreement over Riccardo Calafiori’s transfer fee as the defender moves closer to joining the North London side.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the transfer fee for the Italian defender is €40 million plus €5 million add ons and sell-on clause.
Arsenal have been trying to negotiate a transfer fee for the Italian defender since his performance in Euro 2024. However, they failed to find a breakthrough in the deal.
It appears Arsenal Sporting Director Edu is on the verge of making Calafiori the first signing for Mikel Arteta this summer.
Calafiori has been keen on moving to Arsenal and has already agreed on personal terms of a five-year contract with the club.
The defender played an important role in the success of Bologna, who will be playing in the 2024–25 Champions League season. He made 30 appearances last season, scoring two goals and creating five assists.
It has been a quiet transfer window for the Gunners, but they could add a few signings to the squad before the commencement of the 2024–25 season.
They are looking forward to going head-to-head with Manchester City, who have totally dominated the Premier League since the appointment of Pep Guardiola.
Can Riccardo Calafiori break into the Arsenal First XI next season?
When Calafiori joins Arsenal, he will be saddled with breaking into the Arsenal starting XI next season.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made use of William Saliba and Gabriel in the centre back last season, and the pair became a stumbling block for the Premier League strikers.
In addition, these two defenders stopped a lot of teams from scoring goals, which led to Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya winning the 2023–24 Premier League Golden Glove award.
Last season, Arsenal conceded 29 goals in 38 matches because of the formidable partnership of Saliba and Gabriel in the heart of the Arsenal defense.
It will be difficult for Mikel Arteta to put William Saliba on the bench. Calafiori may get into the starting XI by playing ahead of Brazilian defender Gabriel.
He may also be used as a left-back ahead of Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Riccardo Calafiori Age
The centre back was born on May 19, 2002, in the city of Rome, Italy. Calafiori is currently 22 years old, with a height of 6 feet and 2 inches.
Riccardo Calafiori Position
The Big Italian plays as a centre back and also a left wing back.
Is Riccardo Calafiori left-footed?
Yes, he is a left-footed centre back capable of playing both the centre defense and the left wing back. Calafiori will bring a lot of calmness to the Arsenal defense when he joins the club.
Riccardo Calafiori Stats
The centre back made 129 appearances, scoring nine goals and creating 13 assists in all club competitions. He had received 25 yellow cards and two red cards so far in his career.
Out of the nine goals scored, one was for Basel, two for Bologna, one for AS Roma, and five for Roma U19.
He made his international debut for the Italian national team on June 4, 2024. Calafiori has failed to score a goal in five appearances for the country.
