Riccardo Calafiori rejected Tottenham in favour Arsenal move

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5 months ago

Riccardo Calafiori rejected Tottenham in favour Arsenal move

Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Bologna star Riccardo Calafiori after agreeing personal terms with the Italian defender.

The centre-back has agreed a five-year deal with the Premier League giants and will earn a salary of around €4m per season at the Emirates Stadium.

An agreement is yet to be reached between the clubs but sources have told CaughtOffside that Arsenal are ready to match Bologna’s €50m asking price in order to get the transfer over the line as there are a lot of teams interested in Calafiori.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the reason for Bologna wanting an expensive transfer fee for the centre-back is due to FC Basel, as the Swiss side will receive 50% of the sale over €4.5m.

Premier League clubs Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle United United are also interested in the 22-year-old but the Italy international rejected everyone as he is keen on joining Mikel Arteta’s squad in North London.

Talks are advanced between all parties as the Gunners continue to push for the talented centre-back.

Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori is keen to join Arsenal

Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori set to reject Tottenham to secure Arsenal move

It is not hard to see why Arsenal want Calafiori as the Italian star is one of the brightest young defenders in Europe at present. The 22-year-old was outstanding at Euro 2024 across Italy’s four games and the Gunners are moving now before any other clubs make serious approaches for the player.

Calafiori can play in either centre-back position as well as left-back, which will be a useful tool for Arteta to have. The Italy international was crucial to Bologna’s success last season as he featured in 30 Serie A matches, scoring two goals and assisting a further five as the Rossoblu secured qualification for this season’s Champions League.