Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori has been compared to iconic Italian defender Franco Baresi as transfer interest continues to grow.
The 2024 European Championships in Germany have, so far, been full of goals as well as encapsulating drama wherever you look.
One known niche of these international tournaments is players, who are perhaps not playing for the biggest sides in Europe, tend to make a name for themselves on the big stage and this will then lead to transfer interest from multiple top clubs.
Bologna’s defender Riccardo Calafiori has certainly done this and HITC has reported that the Italian defender is attracting interest from Juventus where former manager Thiago Motta agreed to take over this summer.
Calafiori compared to Baresi by Bologna’s technical director
In an interview with Italian outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport, Bologna’s technical director Walter Sabatini reserved some high praise for the promising Italian defender.
When asked about why there was seemingly a lack of young talent in Italy at this moment in time, Sabatini named Calafiori as one of these players.
“We qualified thanks to a beautiful ‘tear’ by Calafiori, who reminded me of Franco Baresi,” Sabatini said.
“Talent is scarce because in Italy football schools have cancelled street football, the place where you learned to stop the ball, to dribble and to play on the side. Instructors are coaches and impose tactics on 9-year-olds.”
The high praise from Sabatini is just one of a number of people who have been very complimentary of the performances from the Italian.
Calafiori has impressed so much that teams from the Premier League are now understood to have been made aware of his situation.
Premier League teams enter race, Arsenal are keen
Whilst Arsenal have insisted to HITC that they will not be spending big money on a defensive addition this summer, they are one of the sides who have looked at the situation of the Italian.
The Gunners are instead targeting Barcelona’s Mikayil Faye with HITC reporting they have enquired to the Spanish giants about the situation of the Senegalese defender.
Elsewhere, sources have told HITC that Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham are all aware of his situation.
However, despite English clubs being aware of the situation, it is our understanding that these sides believe Calafiori wants a move to Juventus to play under Motta once again.
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