Arsenal chiefs have cast their eye on an interesting defensive option alongside Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, despite talks over a deal for the Euro 2024 star taking a positive turn this morning.
The north Londoners and sporting director Edu Gaspar’s recruitment team have been chasing an agreement to sign the 22-year-old for a long time.
He’s prioritising a switch to the Emirates.
This appeared to be largely due to the 50% sell-on clause which Bologna have to pay FC Basel. The Serie A side agreed to that clause when signing him from Basel last summer, which reportedly forced Bologna to hold out for more of Calafiori’s £42m fee to be paid upfront by Arsenal (The Guardian).
The move was seemingly held up by this array of factors, with The Times stating that Arsenal wanted to use Jakub Kiwior as a makeweight to sweeten talks for Calafiori, despite the Poland international’s reluctance.
However, there is some good news for Mikel Arteta after Calafiori already agreed personal terms on a five-year Arsenal contract. Indeed, Romano shared a very positive update this morning that Arsenal are close to reaching a total agreement for Calafiori, which will come as music to the ears of supporters.
Arsenal eyeing Illya Zabarnyi alongside Calafiori
According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are monitoring Zabarnyi alongside Calafiori ahead of a possible move, amid their attempts to get a deal for the Italian over the line.
The Ukraine international started 37 Premier League games under Andoni Iraola last season, playing nearly all of the Cherries’ league matches bar one. The 21-year-old also boasts nearly 40 caps for his country, despite his very young age.
Called “unbelievable” for some of his performances by Philip Billing, the defender could well be one to watch.
