'He's like Sergio Ramos' – Arsenal to welcome do-everything defender in Riccardo Calafiori
Arsenal will get a defender who can do it all in Riccardo Calafiori.
That was according to talkSPORT presenter and former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino ahead of the Italian defender's move to the Emirates.
talkSPORT understands the Gunners have reached an agreement in principle with Bologna to sign the 22-year-old.
The deal is believed to be worth an initial £34m, rising to £38m in add-ons.
A post went viral on social media purportedly from his girlfriend, who claimed she had joined, but she later denied it was from her account.
The north Londoners already have William Saliba and Gabriel as their central defensive pair, who were rock solid throughout Arsenal in his attempt to overthrow Manchester City last season.
Cascarino told Weekend Sports Breakfast: “If Arsenal can get a £40m deal done for a centre-back that a lot of clubs have looked at and wanted, then he is a fantastic addition to the club.
“He has it all. He is very calm, but he also has a bit of Sergio Ramos.
“He has the ball in his hands and can find passes very easily. You can play him in a three or a two. He is very versatile and I think he is a great addition for Arsenal.”
European football expert Lars Sivertsen says Calafiori will remain a perfect addition, and the versatile star He doesn't just play centre-back any.
He said: “He is a very confident defender, he used to play left-back when he was younger.
“I think the memory most people will have of him this summer is him carrying the ball forward for Italy when they grabbed a last-minute equaliser against Croatia.”
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Calafiori joined Bologna last summer, helping them finish fifth in Serie A last season, moving up from ninth place the season before.
Under coach Thiago Motta, he moved into a central defender role, where he emerged as one of the league's best players, making 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing five assists.
He maintained his new role for Euro 2024advancing from central defence and assisting Lazio winger Mattia Zaccagni, who scored a late equaliser and broke Croatian hearts.
“That's pretty indicative,” Sivertsen said. “He's a very confident kid, he used to play left-back, so he's confident moving the ball forward from defence.
“He’s also a good defender. You can probably use him as a left-back if you want. I think he’s a really interesting addition for Arsenal.”
“I think he is good enough to play in the first team and gives them the option to play in two different positions.”
Despite not being very advanced in his career, the defender gained experience outside of Italy before appearing on Arsenal's radar.
Sivertsen continued: “He's a really interesting player. He took a bit of a tortuous path to get to the level he's at now.
“He was at Roma. He is from Rome and was part of the youth team, but he never made it big there.
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“He then went to Switzerland to play for Basel, which was a bit strange for a young and promising player.
“But there he found his rhythm and was part of the great Bologna team that surprised many people in Serie A this season.”
Calafiori's contract with Bologna expires in June 2027.
Arsenal are yet to make any signings this summer, but they are still being… linked to another Euro 2024 star, Nico Williams.
