Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are expected to complete the signing of Bologna defensive sensation Riccardo Calafiori next week.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have held a new round of talks with Bologna today as they look to close the deal for the signing of Riccardo Calafiori. The Gunners have already agreed terms with both the player and the Italian club. The transfer is expected to be completed with all formal steps next week.
Calafiori has had quite an impressive rise over the last 12 months. The AS Roma academy graduate had an exceptional debut campaign with Bologna on his return to Serie A. He was involved in 33 matches and he ended up contributing towards seven goals.
On the back of his consistent performances, he was included in the Italian squad for Euro 2024. While the Azzurri didn’t live up to the expectations, Calafiori surely made quite a name for himself with some exceptional performances at the back.
It resulted in interest from multiple top clubs from across Europe. Following his return from holiday, the 22-year-old defender made it quite clear to the Bologna board that he wants to move on and join a bigger club. While initial reports suggested that he would prefer to stay in Italy, Calafiori is all set to join Premier League giants Arsenal.
Arsenal to complete Calafiori signing next week
The Gunners have been working hard to secure his services for quite a while now. They had already agreed personal terms with the player to join them on a five-year deal and recently managed to strike a deal with the Italian club. The North London club have agreed to pay €40 million plus another €5 million in add-ons to secure his services.
Bologna have managed to secure a sell-on clause on a player who still has three years left on his contract with them. While both parties are in agreement over a transfer, a few final details still remain to be sorted. As per Romano, both clubs held a new round of talks towards closing the deal.
The Gunners are waiting for Bologna and Calafiori’s former club FC Basel to agree on the existing sell-on clause payment structure. The player’s medical along with the final form steps are expected to be done next week following which he will put pen on paper to make things official.
