Calafiori, Kimmich, Kiwior, Raya, Lokonga and More…
I constantly find myself writing a blog similar to this every year. There's no need to fret over Arsenal's lack of signings so far.
It's only July and the Euro tournament is still happening. Edu and Mikel Arteta have their strategies and they have proven themselves over the past 3 years, gaining our confidence.
Yes, Premier League teams have already spent more than £500 million. But what are they purchasing? Mostly low-quality items. And most of the money is being used to navigate around Financial Fair Play regulations. Clubs are selling a player for £30 million, while at the same time buying a player for the same amount from the same club. This kind of spending is not genuine.
The latest news is that we are nearing an agreement to sign Bolonga's Riccardo Calafiori.
It's kind of like what happened with Manuel Locatelli, when Juventus was in the lead to sign him but then we suddenly started being mentioned in connection with him. Agents' favorite journalists started reporting that we were close to sealing a deal with him. And then Locatelli ended up signing for Juventus.
I didn't know who Riccardo Calafiori was until I saw the news two days ago. This proves that I don't follow football much anymore and haven't been keeping up with the Euros. It would be unexpected to see him join our team considering we already have Gabriel and Jakub Kiwior playing in the left center back position.
The only thought I have is that Kiwior might be unavailable, and Calafiori could take his place.
Kiwior was bought for £20 million on a contract lasting four and a half years a year and a half ago. He has been a solid addition, but there have been rumors of him leaving. Getting a better player without spending much more money would likely be a good move.
Arteta and his team may also believe that Calafiori has the potential to be a player similar to Ben White, providing a reliable choice for the left back position. It is uncertain.
The only other updates on player transfers involve David Raya and Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Anticipate the confirmation of the permanent signing of Raya after the conclusion of the Euro tournament. We predict we will bring in around £10-20 million for Lokonga, resulting in a balanced financial outcome.
Some may characterize Lokonga's stint at Arsenal as a failure. Although he hasn't quite achieved the success many would have expected, it's important to take these gambles on lesser-known players in order to discover hidden talent.
Another player being talked about is Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich. I might write a more detailed blog about him if there is more buzz, because his signing would be significant.
Usually, I wouldn't support signing a player who is 29 years old. However, this player reminds me of Luka Modric or Xabi Alonso because he doesn't depend on speed or strength, but rather on skill and intelligence. He might still have a successful career for another 4 or 5 years, especially if he has someone like Declan Rice supporting him with all their energy.
