Exclusive: €50m defender rejected Tottenham in favour of move to rivals Arsenal
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 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.
It is also easy to see why the Italian is keen on playing at the Emirates Stadium next season as Arsenal are on an upward trajectory and are expected to challenge for top honours again this season.
A transfer to Chelsea, Tottenham or Newcastle would be a gamble for the defender as there are a lot of uncertainties at each English club.
Arsenal fans should be very excited about this potential deal as they could witness something special develop this season in North London as Calafiori will likely partner the very talented William Saliba at the heart of Arteta’s defence.
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