Bologna defender set to complete £42m transfer to Premier League club after turning down interest from Juventus and Real MadridJuventus, Real Madrid and an unnamed Premier League club are all said to have made enquiries for Riccardo Calafiori in recent weeks but the 22-year-old Italian pushed for a move to the Emirates.
His form in Switzerland earned Calafiori a £3.4m move back to Serie A last summer and he was one of the standout performers asahead of Euro 2024 and he went on to be one of his nation’s stars despite a disappointing tournament. With Arteta subsequently learning his coaching craft under the City boss, Calafiori can expect a more thorough schooling in the Catalan’s philosophy when he touches down in north London and it will be intriguing to see how he is deployed.Despite Gabriel forming one of the Premier League’s most formidable defensive pairings with William Saliba, he is more of a traditional no-nonsense stopper than cultured, modern defender.