Arsenal now want to sign Riccardo Calafiori’s teammate who has been hailed as ‘mini Jorginho’

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We’re still in October but Arsenal are already preparing their plans for the January transfer window.

The Gunners did a good job in the summer. They brought in David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino on permanent deals while Raheem Sterling and Neto were signed on loan.

That put the Gunners in a strong position, but Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar will be open to reinforcements in January if they can find players who will strengthen the squad.

One of Calafiori’s international teammates has now been linked with a move to Arsenal.

Arsenal want to sign Samuele Ricci but there are two problems

Samuele Ricci is one of the most talented midfielders in the Serie A.

The 23-year-old has been at Torino for over two years now and has been incredible for them. He has also earned four senior Italy caps and has impressed on the international stage as well.

Ricci will enter the final 18 months of his contract in January, and CaughtOffside have revealed that Torino are expecting big bids for him.

Arsenal have been credited with an interest in Ricci, but one problem for Arteta is that Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are said to be keen to sign him too following Rodri’s season-ending injury.

To add to that, it has been claimed that while Torino are expecting offers of €50 million (£41.8m), Arsenal and City only value him at around €30 million (£25.1m).

Ricci is a fantastic midfielder, and his performances in the Serie A over the years have led to the nickname ‘mini Jorginho’ (Mirror).

Thomas Partey and Jorginho will be out of contract at the end of this season. Ricci could well be the player Arsenal want as a replacement for the ageing duo in the middle of the park.

Ricci is a long-time target for Mikel Arteta

Ricci has become a more popular name for his performances at Torino over the last two years, but he was highly rated even before that.

The midfielder came through the ranks at Empoli’s youth setup and quickly made a name for himself as one of the most talented young midfielders in Italy a few years ago.

Arsenal had entered talks to sign Ricci in April 2021 as well, but no move materialised at the time.

Now, Ricci is more established and has a lot more experience under his belt. He has become a solid player and if Arteta finally gets his wish and signs him, we think he will be a big hit at the Emirates.

Manchester City’s interest is a slight concern for Arsenal, but the Gunners could use some help from Calafiori and Jorginho to convince the Italian to choose North London.