Report: Riccardo Calafiori to Join Arsenal from Bologna; $49M Transfer Fee Agreed
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It has been said that Arsenal are close to signing Riccardo Calafiori, as they have come to a deal with Bologna for a transfer fee that will bring the defender to the team in north London.
According to soccer expert Fabrizio Romano, both teams have reached an agreement on a $49 million transfer deal, which also includes $5.4 million in additional fees and a clause for a percentage of any future sale.
The last part of the process involves getting approval from both Basel and Bologna for the 50% sell-on payment terms before Calafiori can formally become a part of Arsenal.
The journalist David Ornstein from The Athletic shared that Arsenal was stepping up its efforts to sign Calafiori quickly.
Calafiori made a move to Basel in August 2022, signing a permanent deal after spending four years playing in Serie A for Roma. Last August, the 22-year-old also signed with Bologna.
According to Samuel Meade from The Mirror, Bologna was considering cancelling the deal with Arsenal because it was demanding Basel to agree to a lower fee than the 50 percent they were initially promised as part of the agreement for Calafiori.
Calafiori has the ability to play in two different positions for Arsenal - either as a center-back or a left-back. Mikel Arteta has focused on versatility in player positions as he has put together his team, influenced by his experience at Manchester City where they have found success with a defensive lineup featuring four center-backs.
Bringing Calafiori on board would provide Arteta with another choice for the left-back position, alongside Zinchenko and Timber. Timber is currently recovering from tearing his ACL last August and only made his return in the final Premier League game against Everton.
Calafiori could also be a choice for the rotation in the center-back position, alongside Gabriel and William Saliba, who have teamed up to create one of the strongest defensive duos in the Premier League.
Calafiori played in 30 games for Bologna in the 2023-24 Serie A season. He scored two goals and assisted five more, which helped the team secure a spot in the Champions League for the first time in over 50 years.
In the 2023-24 Premier League, Arsenal came in second place behind Man City. They made it to the round of 16 in the Champions League but were defeated by Bayern Munich with a final score of 3-2.
Arteta's team will start the 2024-25 Premier League season on Aug. 17th against Wolves. If everything goes smoothly, Calafiori might have the chance to play for the Gunners in that game.
