Riccardo Calafiori told Chelsea he is only interested in joining Arsenal this summer, a prominent Italian journalist has claimed.
The 22-year-old turned plenty of heads along Bologna’s way to Champions League qualification at the end of last season, while he was arguably Italy’s best player during their run to the last 16 of Euro 2024.
Unsurprisingly, Calafiori has been heavily linked with a move away from Bologna to richer clubs. He had long been expected to sign for Juventus, but now looks far more likely to join Arsenal instead.
Chelsea had also been monitoring Calafiori. as a new left-sided defender before they settled on versatile Basel star Renato Veiga, who coincidentally was the Swiss side’s own replacement for the Italian last year.
Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sport Italia has revealed Calafiori did hold talks with Chelsea over a summer switch to Stamford Bridge, but made it clear to them that he was prioritising a move to Arsenal.
Calafiori and his agents feel the Gunners are the perfect next step for his career. Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League table for two straight seasons, twice pushing Manchester City to the brink in the title race. They will also be among the favourites for next year’s Champions League having ended their six-year spell away from the competition last term.
Though Arsenal are still yet to agree a fee with Bologna, there is a feeling that the two clubs will eventually find mutual ground over a transfer. Bologna are currently standing firm on their demands of £42m plus bonuses and a sell-on clause.
Calafiori is currently on holiday following Italy’s Euro 2024 campaign, while Arsenal’s first-team squad are beginning to filter back for pre-season.
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