Will Arsenal sign Riccardo Calafioro (or anyone) before pre-season commences?
Arsenal have encountered a roadblock on their way to signing their current Italian target, defender Riccardo Calafiori.
Despite Arsenal and Bologna shaking hands on a fee of 40 million euros for as nicknamed “The Bulldozer” a negotiating explosion has erupted between the Italian team and his ex-club Basel due to a sell-on clause which has halted the process. (The difficulty has been reported by The Times).
On top of this Jakub Kiwior’s hesitation in signing for Bologna to help even out the deal has only made matters worse for The Gunners at the worst of times with pre-season beginning next Thursday versus AFC Bournemouth.
To add insult to the wounds Mikel Arteta’s side will then be travelling only days later to America where they will be facing Manchester United on Sunday July 28th and then Liverpool on the first day of August.
Arsenal would prefer to sort out the ongoing transfer issues as soon as possible ideally before the start of next week so that Calafioro can be a part of their pre-season squad plans, allowing for Arteta to work out how the defender can fit into his side without the normal pressures which he will encounter come the start of the Premier League season in mid August.
The defender was ranked sixth in Seria A for the highest number of interceptions last campaign however the figures also point out that he only performed 32 tackles.
He is certainly a “Lion hearted” player who after only signing his first professional contract with Roma when 16 endured 347 days of not being able to play football due to a poor studded challenge performed on him in a UEFA Youth League toss up against Czech side Viktoria Plzen.
Since then he has moved all around Seria A and Europe kicking ball for Genoa (on loan), Basel and Bologna where he’s only been at for a year so far!
Should he sign for Arsenal he will become a part of the “more unpredictable” side Arteta is looking to construct and I am sure whoever he signs will become another part of the complicated jigsaw of tactics he will be using next season.
I just hope a couple arrive before the season starts…
Liam Harding
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