After lengthy negotiations with Bologna, Riccardo Calafiori has finally been confirmed as an Arsenal player.
The Pitch Prospect has learned that the Gunners have initially paid £34 million for the versatile defender, with a further £4 million to be added for possible add-ons.
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After completing his medical test in London, Calafiori joined his new teammates on their pre-season tour of America.
Mikel Arteta identified the 22-year-old, who played for Italy at Euro 2024, as his main defensive target.
Calafiori received rave reviews in the group stage in Germany and also impressed at Bologna last season, helping the team reach the Champions League.
His outstanding performances led Juventus to consider a move for the young player. Chelsea also had him on their radar, but instead signed Renato Veiga from Basel.
There were also rumors that Real Madrid were interested in Calafiori, who was compared to Sergio Ramos, but the ex-Roma player only had his eye on Arsenal.
Arsenal have been in talks with Bologna regarding the player since last month, with the Italian side also in talks with Swiss team Basel.
The two clubs had discussed the hefty 50 percent resale clause that Basel was entitled to after selling him to Bologna in August 2023.
And with that question now settled, Arsenal have finally confirmed Calafiori’s arrival, their second signing of the summer after David Raya’s loan from Brentford was converted into a permanent move.
It remains to be seen what position Calafiori will occupy in Arteta’s system, as the player can operate as both a centre-back and a left-back.
It seems unlikely that Arteta will shake up the partnership between William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in the centre of defence.
And this could lead to Calafiori being deployed as a full-back, where he would take on a similar role to right-back Ben White.
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Jurrien Timber, who missed most of the season with a knee injury, would then be used as a backup at all three defense positions.
And Calafiori’s arrival could now prompt Arsenal to offload one of the two players: Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko, both of whom have been linked with departures from the Emirates club.
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