Arsenal have announced the signing of 22-year-old Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna on Monday for a fee of around €50 million (around R$305 million at the current exchange rate) and a contract until 2029.
“Of course I’m very happy to be here, I’ve waited a long time. I hope we can do something great this year,” the Italian told his new teammates in a video released by Arsenal.
Benvenuto, Riccardo Calafiori 🇮🇹
Meeting new teammates for the very first time ❤️ pic.twitter.com/JbUhqOBCMN
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 29, 2024
After a long transfer saga, the player has joined the rest of the squad in the USA, where Arsenal are playing their pre-season. He will wear the number 33 for the English team, the same number he wore at Bologna.
“It was a great team effort to complete this transfer and we welcome Riccardo to the family. We identified Riccardo as part of our strategy to sign players who fit our profile and who will strengthen our squad to compete at the highest level. He is 22 years old but brings quality and experience. He will quickly become an Arsenal player,” said the club’s sporting director, Brazilian Edu Gaspar.
Calafiori was one of Italy’s defensive standouts at the last Euro, despite the team being eliminated by Switzerland in the round of 16. He started all three games of the Azure in the group stage, not appearing in the round of 16 due to suspension.
The defender was also one of Bologna’s main highlights in the last edition of the Italian Championship – crucial for the team’s qualification for the Champions League, granted for the first time to the fifth-placed team.
In addition to the defense, the defender has a history of playing at left back, as he did when he was a player for Jose Mourinho’s Roma. At Arsenal, this is a position lacking, having spent last season with only Zinchenko as an option, having had to improvise players on some occasions.
“Riccardo has a great personality and character, with specific skills that will make us stronger as we strive to win important trophies. He has already shown great development in recent seasons with his performances for Bologna and Italy, and his progression and development over the past year has been really impressive,” added manager Mikel Arteta.
Source: Gazetaesportiva

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