Arsenal welcomed Riccardo Calafiori to the club in the summer transfer window, and Mikel Arteta made him feel right at home.
It’s been a debut campaign of mixed emotion for Calafiori, who has both impressed and displayed signs of weakness.
Arteta has made it clear that he prefers to play the Italian as a left-back, alternating between the 22-year-old and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Calafiori has received criticism for his defensive ability however, what the defender can offer going forward has certainly charmed the Arsenal manager.
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Mikel Arteta’s gesture to Riccardo Calafiori after Arsenal transfer
Arteta is a long-term admirer of Calafiori and made his feelings about the former Bologna star clear shortly after the Italy international’s arrival.
During the March international break, the Arsenal ace sat down for an interview with Rivista Undici e Cronache, where he revealed the lengths Arteta went to to make him feel welcome in N5.
When asked about his relationship with Arteta, Calafiori lauded Arsenal’s ‘organisation’, where he lifted the lid on the effort the manager goes to with his players.
“The first thing that comes to mind is the organization. How much they care about each player from every point of view, both on the pitch and especially off the pitch,” Calafiori said.
“As for Arteta, I was immediately impressed by how much he cared about getting to know me. One day on the phone he sent me some photos of my family and asked me to say what each member of the family meant to me.”
Calafiori went on to explain the impact the gesture had on his move to Arsenal, describing it as an ‘important moment’.
“Nothing like this had ever happened to me before, I’m not saying that he convinced me with this alone but it certainly represented an important moment”.
Uncertain plans for Calafiori at Arsenal
Calafiori certainly feels at home in North London however, there is a call for clarity regarding Arteta’s plans for his signing.
The rise of Lewis-Skelly has seen the defender drop to the bench to accommodate the Hale End starlet’s development, with an opening in central defence not an option.
What has happened in recent weeks is Calafiori playing further forward for Arsenal, combining in the final third to score and contribute to attacking passages of play.
It was Arteta’s decision to sign Calafiori and now, the boss could be tempted to make a remarkable switch to the player’s role, with an opportunity further upfield not ruled out.
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