Yahoo Sports Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal transfer latest as fee ‘agreed’
Riccardo Calafiori is on the verge of completing his transfer to Arsenal from Bologna this summer.
The Gunners have been trying to get a dal for the past month and seem to have made a major breakthrough.
The two clubs have ‘reached an agreement’ on a transfer fee and sell-on clause, according to Fabrizio Romano.
We have everything you need to know about this move down below as Arsenal close in on their third signing of the transfer window.
Ricardo Calafiori transfer fee
Bologna had been holding out for €42 million, but Romano claims that Arsenal have agreed to pay €40m with €5m in add-ons. A sell-on clause has been included in the deal.
FC Basel are due 50 percent of the transfer fee due to a sell-on clause that was agreed when Calafiori was sold to Bologna for €4m (£3.3m) last summer. The two clubs now have to agree on payment terms.
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Arsenal stance on Calafiori transfer
Mikel Arteta appears to be the main driver behind Arsenal’s attempts to sign the defender. The manager has long been a fan of the player.
However,Arteta’s enthusiasm for making the transfer happen was apparently not shared by everyone at the club. The Athletic reported that he “may need to convince others within the club that the deal represents good business”.
It would seem that the Basque tactician has succeeded in doing just that, with the deal set to be completed soon.
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Why do Arsenal want Calafiori?
Arsenal are in the market for a left-footed defender like Calafiori, who can play at centre-back or left-back. The Gunners already possess a number of players who can play on the left side of a back four – Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jurrien Timber and Takehiro Tomiyasu – but last season the position was unsettled and lacked the consistency of Ben White being ever present on the right.
His versatility is a quality that Arteta covets, with the Italian capable of playing the inverted wing-back role that would see him move into midfield while in possession.
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What other clubs were interested in Calafiori?
Interest in Calafiori grew rapidly following his exploits for Italy at Euro 2024, during which he was arguably the national team’s top performer.
Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Spurs were all linked with the player, but Chelsea emerged as the main competitors to Arsenal for his signature.
However, Calafiori reportedly snubbed the Blues as he views Arsenal as his primary destination this summer.
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What Bologna have said about potential transfer
Bologna reluctantly accepted that they cannot hold onto Calafiori as the player evidently wants to join a bigger club. Earlier this month the Rossoblu’s technical director, Giovanni Sartori, said they would listen to offers.
“I can confirm that we will consider proposals for Riccardo Calafiori. It’d be fantastic to keep him but we have to be realistic,” said Sartori, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.
“In case of good a proposal, we will discuss that; and we anticipate clubs from abroad to move.”
On Friday, Sartori said that “there are no new developments” on a deal, although he did confirm that he has not heard from Juventus about a move for the player.
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Who is Riccardo Calafiori?
Calafiori is a left-footed defender who can play as a centre-back on either the left or right, as well as left-back or left wingback.
The Italy international came through the academy at AS Roma, for whom he made 18 senior appearances in all competitions before joining Swiss outfit FC Basel in 2022.
The following year Calafiori returned to Serie A and joined Bologna, where head coach Thiago Motta moved him to the centre of defence. He excelled in the role, helping the club qualify for the Uefa Champions League for the first time since 1964/65. He made 30 league appearances, scoring twice and providing two assists.
Calafiori has five caps for the Italian national team, three of which came in the group stage of Euro 2024. He missed out on their knockout clash with Switzerland after being handed a one-match suspension for picking up two bookings.
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