Riccardo Calafiori has attracted attention from a host of top European clubs following a sensational season at Bologna and an impressive showing at Euro 2024 in Germany. The Italian defender's composed style of play and versatility in Luciano Spalletti's side had many drawing comparisons to legendary Italian defenders Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta.
At just 22 years old, Calafiori has shown maturity beyond his years for both club and country. His stellar performances for club side Bologna in 2023-24 helped the Serie A outfit qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1964. Calafiori has already had to overcome adversity in his career, suffering a career-threatening knee injury while at Roma. But he has recovered superbly and, after one season at Basel, was brought back to Italy by then-Bologna coach Thiago Motta in 2023.
As a result of his meteoric rise, Premier League giants Arsenal are desperate to bring Calafiori to the Emirates, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano. The Italian defender is keen on a move to London, with personal terms already agreed upon. However, talks remain between the two clubs with £42million said to be figure Bologna are after.
But why do Arsenal want to sign Calafiori? To answer this, GIVEMESPORT examines all the attributes the Italian defender could bring to Mikel Arteta's side and why he's just what the London club needs to go one step further and win the league title.
Calafiori can play in multiple positions across the back line
Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori in action
Having played the majority of his career as a left-back and left wing-back before Motta decided to utilise him more centrally last season, Calafiori has plenty of experience playing in either role, which would be a wonderfully handy asset for Mikel Arteta's side.
Left-back has been a position of weakness for a while now, as Oleksandr Zinchenko has struggled with injuries and form in the last 12 months, and while Jakub Kiwior filled in well in the role, if they can get this deal over the line, the Italian would provide a strong defensive option that also has the ball-playing ability to affect games further up the left flank as well.
Then there is the position that he has played all season long for Bologna and his national side in Euro 2024, left side of the centre back pairing, where he is unlikely to take the position of Brazilian international Gabriel Magalhaes, but would provide a superb replacement option if either Gabriel or William Saliba were to miss a game or if Arteta wanted to rotate his squad.
Riccardo Calafiori's Bologna Statistics 2023-24
Serie A Games
30
Goal Contributuions
7
Clean Sheets
15
Interceptions Per 90 Minutes
1.92
Tackles Per 90 Minutes
1.80
Composure
The Italian is calmness personified on the ball
Riccardo Calafiori in action for Italy at Euro 2024
Calmness in possession of the ball and keeping a cool head when under pressure is a considerable part of the philosophy that this Arsenal team has adopted; therefore, playing in a deeper area of the pitch in this team, it is vital that players keep their composure and choose the right passing options in high-pressure scenarios.
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Luckily for Calafiori, that is an aspect of the game that comes naturally to him: playing out from the back, showcasing his technical ability and in-game intelligence to make the right choices on the ball - that is a staple of the Italian's game.
As well as on the ball, composure off the ball is another impressive aspect of his game. By understanding when to press up high against his attacker and when to step off, he has shown that he has composure in all facets of his game, which will only improve under a manager like Arteta.
Riccardo Calafiori's Euro 2024 Statistics
Appearances
3
Passing Accuracy
92.67%
Top Speed
32.5km/h
Balls Recovered
24
Personality
Calafiori would slot into Arteta's team seemlessly
Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori celebrating
One thing that cannot be taught by any coach is a player's character on the field. What will you do when your team is in need - have the courage to take the ball and force the issue, or pass it on to someone else to do it for you?
Well, we found out the answer to that in the final group game of Italy's Euro 2024 campaign, where, on the brink of going out to Croatia, 1-0 down deep into extra time, seconds away from an early exit, Calafiori stepped up when his nation needed him most, bursting through the midfield line and threading an intelligent ball into the path of Mattia Zaccagni, who finished sumptuously into the top right corner in the 98th minute.
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For all of the great football that Arsenal have played across the past two seasons, a criticism that has been levelled at them is that they are not as mentally strong as their adversaries, Manchester City. But adding another player to the ranks with the personality to come up with big moments could be a defining factor in a title race.
For Calafiori, he's already sold on the Arsenal project with Romano telling GIVEMESPORT:
"Calafiori is really excited about this possibility to work under Mikel Arterta, to try and experience the Premier League. He believes that Arsenal is probably one of the best projects in the world, with many ambitious and talented players. So Calafiori is really waiting for Arsenal now, it depends on Bologna, but the negotiations are ongoing."
Squad Depth
Gunners need options to challenge Manchester City
William Saliba and Gabriel celebrating for Arsenal
Another vital component of any team that goes on to win major silverware is the squad depth that they possess. Manchester City's dominance in the Premier League over the last 10 years did not happen by accident, as they often go into a season with a core group of 15-18 top-quality footballers who can play in a variety of positions that all push each other to start week in, week out.
Signing Calafiori would help take Arsenal another step towards 'the Sky Blues,' as he would not only offer them an upgrade in the left-back position but also help cover the entire backline with top-quality replacements if one of the starters were to be injured.
With Jurrien Timber also coming back into the fold, who can play across the entire backline, this would provide Arteta's side with plenty of options defensively to rotate across the season, similar to how Pep Guardiola does with his squad.
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