Mikel Arteta still faces a fight to get Arsenal to push as hard as they need to to secure the signature of Riccardo Calafiori.
Mikel Arteta believes that Riccardo Calafiori can take Arsenal to the next level.
Arsenal have already agreed personal terms with Calafiori, who shone at Euro 2024 with Italy this summer. However, the Gunners are yet to agree a fee with Bologna for the 22-year-old defender.
This is where the North London club are apparently having doubts. It could be that the Serie A club are demanding a higher fee than the Arsenal hierarchy are willing to pay.
This is where Arteta now faces a battle with his employers.
David Ornstein claims Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are not on the same page about Riccardo Calafiori
According to transfer expert David Ornstein, reporting in The Athletic, Arteta is still pushing internally to convince the club to invest in Calafiori.
The reporter said: “Arteta is a big fan of Calafiori’s and the Bologna player is his primary defensive target as Arsenal look to strengthen what was already the Premier League’s meanest back line last season.
“With Italy now out of the Euros and Arteta and some of the players back from their summer holidays, the manager will hope to press ahead with the signing, though he may need to convince others within the club that the deal represents good business.”
It is certainly true that the Gunners already boast an impressive defensive contingent. William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were considered the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League last season. Meanwhile, Ben White also impressed, whilst Jurrien Timber represents a promising talent who has plenty more to offer.
However, there are flaws in the Arsenal rearguard. For all of his quality, Takehiro Tomiyasu is plagued by recurrent injury issues, and Jakub Kiwior has his limitations. Oleksandr Zinchenko is considered something of a defensive liability.
There could certainly be room for another quality addition at the back, and Arsenal have been urged to sell Zinchenko to create space for Calafiori.
Why Arteta is so keen on Calafiori
The Italian has plenty of attributes that would make him an ideal fit in Arteta’s squad. For a start, he is versatile, comfortable being deployed at left-back or centre-back. As a left-footer he is also a natural back up to Gabriel.
Calafiori also excels on the ball, and can make an impact in the final third. He combines this with solid, reliable, committed defending, and could easily be compared to White, who has excelled as a right-back for the Gunners.
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