Riccardo Calafiori has certainly made a strong impression in north London since joining Arsenal in the summer, an Italian defender who seems perfect for the Premier League.
Before Calafiori, Arsenal have only had four other Italian players in the modern era, including one that is still at the club.
Jorginho is joined by Emiliano Viviano, Vito Mannone and Arturo Lupoli on the list – the Gunners haven’t previously had a strong Italian contingent.
However, Calafiori has arrived in N5 to change that history, a player with so much enthusiasm and raw ability.
Calafiori impressed for Italy over the international break, fortunately returning unscathed this time around.
And the Arsenal defender will now be hoping to tie down a permanent spot in Mikel Arteta’s starting eleven.
Riccardo Calafiori admits he was a big Cristiano Ronaldo fan growing up
That being said, Calafiori has sat down with Football Focus to discuss his move to Arsenal and how he’s adapting to life in England.
As part of the chat, Calafiori was asked about his footballing idols growing up.
The Italian spoke about growing up as an AS Roma fan, a team he went on to represent 18 times after graduating from the academy.
And as well as naming three Roma icons, Calafiori also mentioned the name of Cristiano Ronaldo, that was before he got Arsenal fans back on side by praising Thierry Henry.
Calafiori said: “I have to say of course, Totti and De Rossi, and Mirko Vucinic, a striker from AS Roma.
“Cristiano Ronaldo. A bit earlier, Thierry Henry was, I think, one of the best.”
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Interesting to note that Calafiori didn’t mention one defender in his five, perhaps explaining why he has such strong attacking ambitions himself from the back.
Arsenal still need to find their very own Daniele De Rossi
Of course, if Arsenal were to dip their toes back in the Italian market next summer, perhaps they would be looking for a slightly different profile.
Calafiori mentions De Rossi, a superb number six who always wore his heart on his sleeve.
And given that Thomas Partey and possibly even Jorginho could leave the club next summer, perhaps that will be a vital area for Edu to address.
Alan Shearer recently highlighted why Arsenal need another midfielder, explaining how a new six could get the best out of Declan Rice.
And with that in mind, Arsenal have been linked with an Italian midfielder, a move Calafiori will surely get behind.
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