Jose Mourinho has told Real Madrid he wants to sign either Riccardo Calafiori or Josko Gvardiol, and the club have started work on both players.
Mourinho is expected to become the next manager of Real Madrid after Florentino Perez won the election to remain the club’s president.
💰 Fill in the blank: Real Madrid MUST pay £__m to sign Riccardo Calafiori from Arsenal this summer…
Madrid endured a terrible season last term as they failed to win a single trophy, and work is underway to ensure the same does not happen again next year.
Mourinho is eager to improve his defensive options and has made Calafiori one of his prime targets for this summer’s window.
Real Madrid start work on Riccardo Calafiori and Josko Gvardiol deals
Jose Mourinho has requested the signing of either Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori or Josko Gvardiol from Manchester City, according to AS.
The Portuguese manager believes that his two right-back options, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries, are too attacking, and he wants a more balanced left-sided defender.
Calafiori and Gvardiol are very much appreciated by Mourinho as they can both play at left-back and centre-back, also allowing his team to transition into a three-back in-game.
Los Blancos have started work to sign either player, and at this stage, a deal for the Italian international is seen as more feasible.
KEEP, BENCH and SELL: Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie and Myles Lewis Skelly
Rank Arsenal's three left-back options…
Doing a deal with City for Gvardiol could be a lot harder and more expensive than trying to sign Calafiori from Arsenal.
Jose Mourinho has been closely following Riccardo Calafiori’s career
Mourinho is a huge fan of Calafiori and has followed his career closely since his time in the academy at AS Roma.
The Arsenal defender is valued at around £47 million; however, whether the Gunners would be willing to sell him is another matter.
The 23-year-old has fallen behind Piero Hincapie in the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium, and perhaps Mikel Arteta would be willing to sacrifice him.
But the North London club will want to ensure they keep their strong squad depth for next season, so having both left-backs could be key.
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