Riccardo Calafiori travels to London to undergo medical with Arsenal
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta He has been waiting patiently to secure his first major signing of the summer, but it looks like he is on the verge of landing his man.
After weeks of negotiations, Arsenal finally reached an agreement with Bologna to sign highly-rated defender Riccardo Calafiori on Wednesday, according to Daily Mail.
The paper says the deal is worth £42m and Calafiori will now be the first addition to Arteta's squad after David Raya made his loan from Brentford permanent earlier this month.
Now, transfer guru Fabricius Romano He says Calafiori is heading to London to undergo the first part of his medical. The 22-year-old will then fly to the US, where he will undergo the second part of his medical.
If all goes to plan, Calafiori will sign a five-year contract with Arsenal and join his new teammates on their pre-season tour of the United States.
Romano tweeted:
Arsenal have set out a new plan for Riccardo Calafiori. It is understood that the first part of the medical will take place in London and the player will travel soon. The final check-up will take place in the United States and then Calafiori will sign a five-year contract as a new player. #AFC Player. Here we go, confirmed.
The Gunners drew with Bournemouth in their opening game early on Wednesday. They will next face Man Utd in Los Angeles before flying to Philadelphia to play Liverpool.
Top-level signing
Calafiori promises to be an exciting addition to Arteta's squad after emerging as one of the best young defenders in Italian football during his time at Bologna.
He was a key player last season as he helped Bologna secure Champions League qualification for the first time in 60 years. The youngster starred in this summer's European Championship with Italy.
Calafiori is left-footed and has predominantly played as a central defender for club and country, but is also capable of playing as a left-back. With Gabriel and Guillermo Saliba Forming a rock-solid partnership in defence for Arsenal, Arteta looks likely to deploy Calafiori at left-back given it has been a problem position for them.
Oleksandr Zinchenko lost his place last season and Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jacub Kiwior took his place in the second half of the season. Tomiyasu has struggled with injuries, while Kiwior is expected to leave once Calafiori's arrival is secured.
