The anticipated transfer of Ricardo Calafiori to the Premier League is expected to be confirmed soon. The Italian center-back had an outstanding season with Bologna FC last year, playing a crucial role in the team’s significant improvement in Serie A. The 22-year-old concluded his impressive season by emerging as one of Italy’s standout players in the Euro Cup in Germany.
Calafiori has recently been linked with top European clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus, and Chelsea, but he has ultimately chosen to join the Gunners for the 2024/25 season. His value surged during the Euro Cup, rising from approximately 20 million euros at the start of the tournament to around 60 million euros. However, it appears that Arsenal and Bologna FC have agreed on a transfer fee of 50 million euros plus additional variables.
Sky Sports confirmed last night that Calafiori is not interested in joining any of his other suitors. According to Sky’s media team on X, Arsenal hopes to finalize the signing of Calafiori this week after further negotiations with Bologna over the Italian defender. The 22-year-old is believed to have agreed to personal terms following his impressive performances at Euro 2024, and Mikel Arteta is eager to complete the transfer before Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the United States next week.
Negotiations over the fee and payment structure have reportedly advanced in recent days, according to the Guardian, with Bologna expected to receive around £42m for the player they acquired from Basel last summer for £3.4m. The Swiss club is understood to be entitled to 50% of any profit Bologna makes from the sale. As the deal nears completion, Arsenal fans are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the highly-rated defender, who is expected to significantly strengthen their squad for the upcoming season.
