It may be framed as one of those dreaded ‘tournament signings’.
But it really shouldn’t be. They say you should never sign a player based on his performances at a World Cup or a European Championships.
In truth, it is not a cliche without merit. Fans of Liverpool – El Hadj Diouf, Salif Diou, Milan Jovanovic et all – know all about that.
But it would be unfair to suggest that Arsenal’s interest in Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori is solely based on his stand-out displays in an admittedly pretty dreadful Azzurri side.
Yes, Calafiori did his reputation no harm at this summer’s European Championships, that own goal against Spain aside.
But avid Serie A viewers will tell you that the Bologna colossus has been consistently outstanding for the best part of 12 months now; his cultured left-foot, his expert positioning, his driving runs into midfield and his very 2003-era visage drawing understandable comparisons with some of Catenaccio’s best.
Arsenal lead race for Italy star Riccardo Calafiori
HITC understands that there is interest from Premier League quartet Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
Fabrizio Romano, meanwhile, now writes that Calafiori has given the ‘green light’ to The Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s side are the favourites, and personal terms are understood to not be much of an issue.
The prospect of another of Serie A’s rising stars leaving for England, a la Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario and Sandro Tonali, may not go down too well in some quarters.
But Stefano Impallomeni insists that Calafiori can only benefit from broading his footballing horizons.
“The Premier League (has) a lot of money,” Impallomeni, the former Roma and Parma midfielder, tells Tuttomercatoweb. “I would see him doing well anywhere anyway. It would be a great victory for him.
“This guy is young, he has experienced everything. He has become a complete player, and all these experiences have led him to show a personality that is not so obvious at his age. He has shown himself to be a strong profile.
“When you see him play, Calafiori is always very centred and balanced. He has the signs of a great personality.
“If I were him, I would accept going abroad.”
Bologna could sell for less than £50 million
Calafiori, per Gianluca di Marzio, could set Arsenal back around £42 million.
With Italy’s Euro defence ending against a superb Switzerland in the round-of-16, Di Marzio adds that this week could be a decisive one in Calafiori’s future.
Once of Roma, Genoa and Basel, the left-sided Calafiori will provide competition for Gabriel Magalhaes at the Emirates Stadium. A stylish, marauding 22-year-old can also fill in at left-back, meaning his arrival may come as a concern to Jakub Kiwior.
The Pole, another Serie A import, has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot in the centre, forced to play on the flank by Arteta throughout much of 2023/24.
The legendary Fabio Capello, meanwhile, sees similarities between Calafiori and a certain young defender he coached at Real Madrid nearly two decades ago.
“I was impressed by Calafiori’s personality. He didn’t look like a debutant at the Euros. If I have to make a comparison, I think about a young Sergio Ramos,” Capello tells Gazzetta dello Sport of a man who thrived during his first ever international tournament.
“I coached (Sergio) Ramos in 2006-07 in Madrid. Just like Ramos, Calafiori used to play as a full-back, and he turned into a centre-back.”
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