Martin Odegaard reveals what Arsenal players noticed about Riccardo Calafiori ‘straight away’

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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has delivered his verdict on Riccardo Calafiori.

The Gunners suffered a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool in their final pre-season game in the United States, but the mood around the group is still very good.

Odegaard faced the media after the game in Philadelphia on Wednesday, and the Arsenal skipper was asked about a lot of things.

One of the questions was about Calafiori, who only joined Arsenal on Monday. Odegaard seems to be impressed already.

Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard issues verdict on Riccardo Calafiori after training with him

Arsenal had to work really hard to sign Calafiori.

Talks with Bologna were not easy and negotiations dragged on for a few weeks. However, Edu Gaspar finally got the deal done a few days before it was announced.

Calafiori has joined up with his new teammates in the United States, and he has gone through a couple of training sessions already.

The Italian was left out of the squad for the game against Liverpool because he has had a tiring few days, but despite that, he seems to have made his mark in training.

Odegaard has revealed that everyone at Arsenal immediately realised that Calafiori was a ‘top player’ after seeing him in training.

The Arsenal captain also claimed that he’s sure that the Italy international will help the club a lot in the 2024/25 season and beyond.

Odegaard told HaytersTV: “Everyone saw straight away in training that he’s a top player. He’s a top defender, physical, he has this presence on the pitch.

“I’m sure he going to give us a lot. Happy to have him on board and looking forward to seeing more from him.”

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Calafiori has already seen the big problem at Arsenal

Calafiori wasn’t a part of the squad against Liverpool, but he was in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to watch his new teammates in action.

There were a few positives to take despite the defeat, but Arsenal’s one big problem was overly evident against the Reds – their left-back.

Oleksandr Zinchenko had a really poor game against Liverpool. He was at fault for both their goals, and that cost Arsenal the game.

After watching that performance live, Calafiori must have realised Arsenal’s key issue. That’s why they spent the big bucks to bring him in from Bologna.

If the Italian can help Arsenal become defensively solid at left-back while also making a difference in possession and while inverting, the Gunners will become significantly better than they were in the 2023/24 season.

The Emirates Cup is up next for Arsenal, and Calafiori is expected to make his debut against Bayer Leverkusen at home. We can’t wait to see how he’ll fare.