Arsenal have acquired Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna for a transfer fee of up to £42 million, including add-ons. The 22-year-old, who featured in all three of Italy’s group stage matches at Euro 2024, has signed a five-year contract with Mikel Arteta’s team.
Calafiori has joined his new teammates in Philadelphia immediately following the transfer. “I’m really happy to be here,” Calafiori remarked. “I waited a lot. I hope we are going to do something great this season.”
The defender, who can play as both a central defender and left-back, as well as on the left wing, spent one season at Bologna. Last season, he made 30 appearances in Serie A, scoring two goals and providing five assists, contributing to Bologna’s fifth-place finish and securing a spot in the Champions League.
Arteta praised the acquisition, stating, “Riccardo is a big personality and character, with specific skills which will make us stronger as we push to win major trophies.” He added, “He has already shown great development in recent seasons with his performances for both Bologna and Italy, with his progression and development in the past year being really impressive. We’re looking forward to working with Riccardo, integrating him into the squad, and supporting him in the years to come.”
Calafiori was named Serie A’s player of the month in May and earned all five of his senior Italy caps this summer. He began his senior career at Roma in 2020 and had a loan spell at Genoa before joining Basel in 2022. After one season in Switzerland, Bologna signed him for £3.3 million.
Under Bologna’s former coach Thiago Motta, who has now moved to Juventus, Calafiori mainly played as a central defender, though he began his career as a left-back with additional forward capabilities. Juventus and Chelsea were among the other clubs linked with him.
At Arsenal, Calafiori could compete with centre-back Gabriel or left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko for a position. Arsenal are aiming to challenge for their first Premier League title in 21 years after securing second place in the past two seasons.
Additionally, Arsenal are expected to sell midfielder Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham for an initial £27 million, with potential add-ons totaling £7 million.
