Mikel Arteta has spoken about Riccardo Calafiori reassuring him of his decision when his move to Arsenal was delayed.
As soon as Italy’s participation in Euro 2024 ended, Arsenal reached a personal agreement with Calafiori.
The defender had been in fantastic form during the competition, which convinced the Gunners to invest in him and make him a member of their squad.
The transfer was then delayed for several reasons, with rumours ranging from Arsenal’s offer not being good enough to Bologna not wanting to pay Basel their pre-agreed percentage.
While waiting for the transfer to be finalised, the defender could have spoken to other clubs, but he didn’t. Mikel Arteta revealed that Calafiori assured him he had packed his bags long before the saga was over.
The gaffer said, as quoted by the Daily Mail:
‘I spoke to him one or two times and I wasn’t sure if we could do it or not.
‘He was adamant, “Let me know when you’re ready, my bags are packed and I just want to join Arsenal”. Those were his words.
‘When you have someone with that willingness and that passion to join and make us better and that determination it’s really powerful. As a club we should be really proud of that.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
Calafiori has been one of our best signings in recent times, and the defender looks happy to make his mark on our team.
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