Riccardo Calafiori has now lifted the lid on the role that Jorginho played in convincing him to sign for Arsenal this summer.
Arsenal officially announced the signing of Riccardo Calafiori yesterday.
This announcement brought the curtain down on what had been a drawn-out transfer saga, with rumours linking the defender with a switch to the Emirates Stadium for several weeks before the move was made official.
Mikel Arteta will be delighted to finally have this deal over the line. Calafiori has joined up with the Arsenal squad in the US, and has introduced himself to his new teammates.
The 22-year-old will have encountered one familiar face when meeting his new colleagues, as his international teammate Jorginho is already on the books at Arsenal. The duo played together for Italy at Euro 2024 earlier this summer.
Riccardo Calafiori reveals Jorginho role in Arsenal transfer
Calafiori does not know Jorginho especially well. After all, the defender only has five senior international caps under his belt, so is a relatively new face in the Italy squad, whereas the midfield veteran has represented his country on 57 occasions.
Despite this relative lack of familiarity, Jorginho still took it upon himself to urge Calafiori to join Arsenal whilst the duo were on international duty together.
Speaking to the official Arsenal website, Calafiori explained how this interaction unfolded: “I just met [Jorginho] one month ago, but I can see that he’s a really good guy. I was already convinced but he forced me. He said: ‘come, come, come! You will enjoy being here, the team is amazing and the staff, everything is good.’ You can see that already from the first few minutes here.”
Not only does this insight reveal that Jorginho is clearly very happy at the Emirates Stadium himself, but also that Calafiori has had his heart set on joining Arsenal for some time, since long before his move was finalised.
Calafiori was thought to have told Chelsea that he wanted to join Arsenal a few weeks ago, when the Blues were credited with an interest in the then-Bologna man. These comments indicate that that is probably true, and that he did in fact inform other potential suitors of his intention to join the Gunners, as his mind has clearly been made up for some time.
What next for Arsenal after Calafiori signing?
Now that the Gunners have got a deal for Calafiori over the line, Arteta and sporting director Edu are free to focus on other deals. A striker is on the agenda for Arsenal, the club have made moves towards signing both Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen.
The North London club also need to make sale this summer. Emile Smith Rowe is expected to leave Arsenal soon, and won’t be the only player heading for the exit before the transfer window closes.
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