Calafiori was convinced to join Arsenal before speaking to Mikel Arteta

Riccardo Calafiori has finally completed his protracted transfer to Arsenal, and the defender stated that he was ready to make the move without much convincing.

The former Bologna star was the standout player for the Italy national team at Euro 2024, and Arsenal thought he was too good to ignore, prompting the Gunners to make a move for him.

Calafiori had been expected to join Juventus, but when Arsenal showed interest, he changed his mind and instantly wanted to move to London.

Having completed the transfer, Calafiori revealed that he had been in contact with Mikel Arteta for several weeks, but he was already sold on the club’s project even without those discussions.

He said, as quoted by the Daily Mail:

‘I spoke for almost two months with the coach (Mikel Arteta) and Edu. They tried to convince me but I was already really convinced to come here. 

‘For me it’s the best project that I can have to improve as a player. That’s it.

‘I want to improve, to win trophies. It’s the best project for me because the team is young, the team is strong, it’s really good.’

Just Arsenal Opinion

Calafiori looks prepared to become a key player for us and it will be interesting to see how he performs when competitive football resumes.


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