Jorginho has now lifted the lid on how he urged Riccardo Calafiori to join Arsenal whilst the pair were at Euro 2024.
Arsenal recently officially confirmed the signing of Riccardo Calafiori.
After weeks, if not months, of speculation and gossip, the Gunners finally got a deal for the Italian defender over the line.
Calafiori is now with the Arsenal squad in the US, and has introduced himself to his new teammates. However, there was one already familiar face in Mikel Arteta’s squad ready and waiting to welcome him to the club.
Calafiori and Jorginho are both Italy internationals, and had the opportunity to get to know one another earlier this summer at Euro 2024.
The 22-year-old defender is a relatively new face on the international scene, with only 5 caps to his name, unlike midfield veteran Jorginho, who has represented his country 57 times. Despite the pair not knowing each other especially well, though, Jorginho did not hesitate to play his part in convincing Calafiori to make the move to North London.
Calafiori has already admitted that Jorginho urged him to sign for Arsenal, but the 32-year-old himself has now opened up about exactly what he said to the then-Bologna man.
How Jorginho helped convince Riccardo Calafiori to join Arsenal
As quoted by the official Arsenal website, Jorginho has now recounted the role he played in tempting Calafiori to the Emirates Stadium.
He explained: “I sent him a few messages while we were there at the tournament and I spoke with him and said if he wants to take himself to the next level and grow, this is the right place for him to go.”
Arsenal fans will appreciate the effort that Jorginho put in to help the club get this deal done. However, it seems that the player required little convincing to choose Arsenal.
Arteta recently revealed that Calafiori was “adamant” that he only wanted to sign for Arsenal this summer, despite interest from other clubs in his services.
Arsenal could use Martin Odegaard to help sign Mikel Merino
With Calafiori now through the door, Mikel Merino is Arsenal’s top transfer target. The Real Sociedad midfielder is available for a cut price fee this summer, and would be an ideal fit for Arteta’s side.
If the 28-year-old needs any convincing to make the move to the Emirates Stadium, then Martin Odegaard could take a leaf out of Jorginho’s book and reach out to the player. The Norwegian playmaker was a teammate of Merino’s during his own loan spell with Real Sociedad in the 2019/20 season.
The pair struck up an effective midfield partnership then, which could soon be rekindled in North London.
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