Arsenal are targeting the transfer of a player ‘more ready for the Premier League’ than Joshua Zirkzee as the striker gets set to undergo his medical with Manchester United.
The Red Devils are set to win the race for Zirkzee with the Netherlands international heading to Old Trafford. Arsenal had also shown interest in signing Zirkzee from Bologna this summer but are set to miss out. The 23-year-old flew to the UK this Thursday after exiting Euro 2024.
England dumped the Netherlands out of the European Championship in the semi-finals for a date with Spain on Sunday. It also cleared Zirkzee to finalise a transfer to Manchester United after the Premier League club found an agreement with Bologna over the terms of his move.
Arsenal target Riccardo Calafiori is ‘more ready for the Premier League’ than Joshua Zirkzee
Manchester United have not triggered Zirkzee’s €40m (£33.5m) release clause but agreed to pay Bologna €42.5m (£36m) over a three-year period, per The Athletic. The two-cap ace will also sign a five-year contract pending the results of his medical due to be held on Friday.
The 6 ft 3 ace joining Manchester United is a blow to Arsenal as Zirkzee was their most likely alternative after Benjamin Sesko rejected a move from RB Leipzig. Yet Mikel Arteta might be set to see a target ‘more ready for the Premier League’ switch to Emirates Stadium, instead.
READ MORE: Arsenal 24/25 confirmed signings, transfers in and out, loan exits and releases
That is the opinion of Italian football expert Manuel Minguzzi, who believes Zirkzee is still to prove himself but Arsenal target Ricciardo Calafiori is primed to hit the ground running. The Gunners are in talks with Bologna over their star defender who shone at Euro 2024 for Italy.
“Calafiori was born a full-back but Thiago Motta turned him into a centre-back,” Minguzzi has explained to football.london. “He can do both roles with no problem.
“But I see him as better central defender. Honestly, I see Calafiori as more ready than Zirkzee for the Premier League. Riccardo is a top player now, Joshua has yet to fully prove it.”
Mikel Arteta wants Riccardo Calafiori’s transfer sealed before Arsenal’s pre-season tour
Arteta has set Arsenal a deadline to sign Calafiori from Bologna with the coach eager for the 22-year-old to arrive in time for their pre-season tour of the USA. But football.london claims the Gunners are still to find an agreement over the fee, with the Serie A team seeking £42m.
READ MORE: Arsenal pre-season tour 2024 – destination, fixtures, how to watch and more
An agreement is already in place between Calafiori and Arsenal, however. Fabrizio Romano reports the Euro 2024 star is ready to sign a five-year contract worth €4m-a-season (£65k-a/w) net. He is also primed to undergo a medical once Bologna give Calafiori the go-ahead.
His transfer would give Arteta a new defender Minguzzi holds in very high regard. Calafiori’s displays in Germany this summer even heightened the Italian football expert’s opinion that the Rome native has hallmarks of two of Italy’s greatest defenders at a meagre 22 years old.
The Tuttobologna editor added: “Calafiori is a modern defender – excellent in marking and brilliant in ball possession. He has no fear and always plays with his head held high, as seen in the European Championship.
“As elegance of movements he is reminiscent of [Alessandro] Nesta and [Paolo] Maldini.”
In this week’s episode of the Arsenal Insider Podcast, Will Jones and Rahul Lakhani discussed England’s dramatic win over the Netherlands to reach the Euro 2024 final. With Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka having opposing times, their roles against Spain were debated.
Arsenal are also closing in on agreeing to the departure of Nuno Tavares with a transfer now edging closer, so the pair have examined where it all went wrong for him. Jones and Lakhani have was also looked at the interest Fulham are showing in Emile Smith Rowe this summer.
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