Calafiori is expected to sign for Arsenal this week, but before the Gunners moved ahead on the Bologna star, they asked about signing a defender within the Premier League.
Indeed, according to Ben Jacobs, speaking on Forest Fan TV, Arsenal did ask about signing Nottingham Forest’s Murillo, but now that they’re in for Calafiori, the door is closed on that front.
Arsenal asked about signing Murillo
Jacobs shared what he knows about the £15m defender and Arsenal’s enquiry.
“Chelsea haven’t advanced anything yet. Arsenal made an enquiry, but they are right on the brink now of signing Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna, in a deal worth around €45m, so that should shut the door there. The options for Murillo are getting thinner and thinner and thinner,” Jacobs said.
Murillo might have been a better option
Arsenal have opted to go for Calafiori over Murillo, but there’s an argument to be made that the Brazilian would’ve been the better option.
It’s an old cliché, but the reality is that Murillo is proven at Premier League level, while Calafiori isn’t.
Murillo was one of Nottingham Forest’s best players last season, and while Forest didn’t perform brilliantly, we’ve seen lower-table defenders step up with ease at clubs like Arsenal – just look at Ben White.
However, Forest reportedly think Murillo is a £70m player, so it is understandable why Arsenal looked elsewhere.
Calafiori is coming off the back of one good season with Bologna in Serie A – a league, while famed for its defenders, has birthed plenty of Premier League flops over the years.
Going for a tried and tested option is always going to be your best bet when you’re pushing to win a Premier League title, and Arsenal may well live to regret going for Calafiori over Murillo.
Regardless of Arsenal’s interest subsiding, it may not be long before Murillo gets his move to one of Europe’s elite clubs.
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