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Arsenal in ‘advanced’ talks to sign Riccardo Calafiori

By Ritayan Chatterjee on July 16, 2024

Arsenal are reportedly in ‘advanced’ talks to sign Bologna star Riccardo Calafiori this summer, as per the transfer journalist Ben Jacobs.

With Jakub Kiwior linked with a move away from the club in this transfer window, the Gunners have seemingly decided to sign a new left-sided defender to provide competition for Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Arsenal were linked with numerous names but eventually decided to step up their efforts to sign the Italian. They agreed on personal terms with the player a couple of weeks ago and even started talks with Bologna to get the deal done. But, they haven’t been able to find an agreement yet.

However, speaking on GiveMeSport, Jacobs has now reported that Arsenal are in ‘advanced’ talks with Bologna to secure Calafiori’s signature with the player keen on moving to the Emirates Stadium.

However, the journalist also says that this is a tough negotiation for Arsenal as Bologna don’t want to let their star man leave for anything less than £42m, while Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t sure whether Calafiori would be the value for money signing.

Calafiori to Arsenal

Jacobs also states that Juventus were the favourite in this race before the start of the window but they are completely out of it at the moment.

Jacobs said:

“Arsenal still want Riccardo Calafiori, but the negotiations are also relatively tough, because Bologna are sticking to their asking price of around €50million (£43million). Arsenal are still deciding whether that is value for money or whether they’re going to decide to look elsewhere.

“Things are advanced between the two clubs, and the player is now waiting for Arsenal, so he is fully sold. He wants that move, and he’s also aware that Juventus are out of the race because they think the overall package is too expensive. So a couple of months before the window, Juventus were the frontrunners, and they also had player buy-in, but they’ve not indicated they’re not prepared to move at the €50m asking price.”

Calafiori is a technically gifted player and is extremely comfortable with possession. So, he would be an ideal option to play in Mikel Arteta’s possession-based system. Therefore, he would be an excellent acquisition for the North London club if they secure his signature in this transfer window.