Arsenal have officially announced the acquisition of 22-year-old Bologna’s defender Riccardo Calafiori.
The Italian star joins the Gunners in preparation for the 2024/25 season, and he is anticipated to become a key player in Mikel Arteta’s defense as the club strives to end their two-decade-long Premier League title drought.
The Gunners also confirmed that the versatile left-footed defender will sport the number 33 jersey at the Emirates Stadium.
Calafiori had an outstanding season in Serie A, aiding Bologna in their qualification for the Champions League, but he truly caught the eye with his performances for Italy at Euro 2024.
Reports indicated that Arsenal secured Calafiori’s transfer for a fee of €40 million, with an additional €5 million in potential add-ons.
The negotiations were complex, as Bologna sought to maximize their profit from the sale of their star defender.
The discussions were further complicated by Basel’s 50% sell-on clause, which required the profit to be shared between the two clubs.
Calafiori is reported to have signed a five-year contract with Arsenal and will join an already strong defensive lineup.
With William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as the established central defensive pair, Calafiori’s ability to play both as a center-back and left-back fits well with Arteta’s strategy of using inverted full-backs.
The talented defender has also demonstrated an aptitude for moving into midfield, using his ball-handling skills to create space.
Manager Mikel Arteta commented, “We welcome Riccardo and his family to Arsenal. He is a great signing and gives us huge strength to reinforce our defence. Riccardo is a big personality and character, with specific skills which will make us stronger as we push to win major trophies. He has already shown great development in recent seasons with his performances for both Bologna and Italy, with his progression and development in the past year being really impressive. We’re looking forward to working with Riccardo, integrating him into the squad, and supporting him in the years to come.”
