According to reports, Premier League giants Arsenal and Bologna are still negotiating a deal to move Riccardo Calafiori to north London.
Calafiori has been highlighted as one of Mikel Arteta’s top summer targets, with Arsenal apparently prepared to pay around £50 million for his services.
The 22-year-old was brilliant for Bologna in 2023/24, helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in its history.
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His impressive form was reproduced for Italy at Euro 2024, introducing him to Premier League supporters who had not heard of him prior to the competition.
Calafiori has been extensively connected with both Chelsea and Arsenal, but the midfielder is believed to prefer a move to Arsenal.
Calafiori, who can play as a centre-back or left-back, is a guy Arteta is excited to add to his already strong defense.
There are worries over the left-back position, with Oleksandr Zinchenko struggling last season and Jurrien Timber suffering an ACL injury on his Premier League debut.
Takehiro Tomiyasu is another injured player, while Kieran Tierney is slated to leave this summer, and ex-Spezia defender Jakub Kiwior has been linked with a return to Italy.
There is plenty of competition in that position, but each player is somewhat unpredictable, with Timber wanting to prove himself in what is essentially his first season in north London.
That is where Calafiori comes in; unfortunately, negotiations with Bologna look to be at an impasse.
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