'Deal has been agreed': Arsenal closing in on 'very exciting' player Tottenham reportedly led race for - Romano

Both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been fairly quiet on the transfer front since the window opened, with just senior signing between them.

England youth international goalkeeper Tommy Setford signed from Ajax earlier this month, but he will go into the Hale End setup initially.

Meanwhile, Spurs landed Archie Gray from Leeds United. Although he’s also 18 years old, he has gone into the senior setup.

However, Wednesday afternoon brought forth some big developments with regards to Arsenal’s pursuit of a key summer target who has also been linked with Tottenham.

Riccardo Calafiori of Italy in action during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Croatia and Italy at Football Stadium Leipzig on June 24,...

Arsenal set to win Riccardo Calafiori race as Tottenham miss out

The player in question is Riccardo Calafiori, who Arsenal have been in talks over, while Spurs are said to have pursued.

Indeed, back in March, it was reported that Tottenham were actually frontrunners for the Bologna man’s signature.

However, in recent weeks, Spurs have been overtaken in the race by their north London rivals.

Not long after, Fabrizio Romano took to X with a similar update, stopping short of declaring “here we go” for the time being.

The transfer insider reported that Arsenal, Bologna and Calafiori’s camp are currently working to get documents approved today.

After doing so, they will look to get medical tests scheduled, added Romano, stressed that there are “no doubts” over Calafiori joining Arsenal.

“Formal steps are only left but all being resolved, then… here we go,” concluded the Italian.

Strength in depth crucial for all top clubs

The updates shared by Ornstein and Romano pretty much confirm that Calafiori to Arsenal is going in the right direction.

Hopefully it won’t be long before all the documentation is sorted and a medical is booked, encapsulated by the famous “here we go” catchphrase.

Strength in depth is something that all the top clubs need. With Arsenal and Tottenham both falling short of their goals last season, there’s scope for both squads to be strengthened.

Spurs could’ve certainly done with Calafiori in their ranks, but now it looks like the Gunners have won the race for the “very exciting” defender.