Arsenal have agreed a fee with Bologna to secure the signing of Italian central defender Ricardo Calafiori on a five year deal.
Bologna were not willing to let their star asset go for less than a total package of roughly £45m with almost 50% of the fee going to Swiss club FC Basel due to a sell-on clause.
Calafiori is regarded as one of the best defensive prospects in European football and had a standout performance for Italy at Euro 2024.
The 22 year-old was Mikel Arteta’s number one priority for defensive reinforcements and will most likely deploy the Italian as a left-sided central defender that potentially moves into midfield.
🚨 All agreements now in place for Riccardo Calafiori to join Arsenal from Bologna. 22yo defender still needs to do medical + sign but deal essentially done. If everything goes to plan, aim is for Italy int’l to link up with #AFC on USA tour @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/imqFkwcOXC
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) July 24, 2024
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