Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori will travel to the United States this afternoon to link up with the Arsenal squad on their pre-season tour after completing his medical in London yesterday, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.
The Gunners have struck a deal to sign the Italian international after agreeing terms with him and the Serie A club, and both clubs have exchanged documents.
He has signed a five-year deal and has since left Bologna’s pre-season camp as he prepares to join Arsenal.
The North Londoners started their tour of the United States with a 2-1 victory over Manchester United earlier today, and they will face Liverpool next on Thursday.
They will play Bayer Leverkusen next Wednesday before facing Lyon in the Emirates Cup final on Sunday, and Calafiori will be featuring in some of those games before the Premier League opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 17.
Arsenal have successfully bolstered their defence with the addition of the Italian Euro 2024 star and are also hoping to strike a deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, with talks expected to advance next week.
They have been linked with several forwards amid the imminent exit of Emile Smith Rowe, while Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson could also both move on.
Arsenal are desperate to go one better in 2024-25 after finishing second behind Manchester City in each of the last two seasons, and they need a team capable of challenging strongly across all competitions.
