Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have enquired about the availability of Juventus defensive target Riccardo Calafiori.
According to a report from The Mirror, Arsenal are interested in the services of Riccardo Calafiori who has been in sensational form over the last 12 months. He had an impressive campaign with Bologna and managed to make quite a name for himself with his performances for Italy at Euro 2024.
On the back of his performances, multiple clubs are keen on prising him away from the Italian outfit. Things might not have worked out for Calafiori at AS Roma but the move to FC Basel allowed him to get things back on track.
He returned to Serie A last summer and had an exceptional debut season under the leadership of Thiago Motta. The left-footed defender was involved in 37 matches and even contributed towards seven goals.
While the majority of the appearances came in the heart of the defence, the 22-year-old was even used as a left-back. Calafiori still has three years left on his deal at Bologna but multiple clubs are ready to try and lure him away.
Juventus are one of the clubs keen on signing the Italian international. The Old Lady want to reinforce their backline and they feel he could be an ideal fit for them. They have already managed to snatch Thiago Motta from them and now are keen on reuniting him with Calafiori.
Arsenal keen on signing Calafiori
Meanwhile, Bologna are reluctant to sell the Italian centre-back to rivals Juventus and would prefer to sell him to an English club amidst interest from Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s team have already made an enquiry about the 23-year-old.
While the Gunners already have a lot of quality in their backline, they are interested in signing Calafiori who could be a great option for the long run. His versatility could be of great use to Arteta but their interest depends on the future of Jakub Kiwior.
If the Polish international makes the move away from the club in the summer amidst interest from Juventus and AC Milan, they will push for the Bologna centre-back. The Italian club are aware of the fact that they will find it difficult to keep hold of their star but they have no intentions of letting him leave on the cheap.
With three years still left on his deal, they will only let him leave for more than £40 million with FC Basel entitled to 40 per cent of any sale over £5 million.
