Riccardo Calafiori has chosen Arsenal as his next destination after a successful 2023/24 season with Bologna. According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal has reached an agreement to acquire Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna for a transfer fee of €40 million, with an additional €5 million in add-ons.
Riccardo Calafiori is versatile in the defensive positions. Besides playing as a center-back, he can also cover the left flank, similar to Jacob Kiwior in the 2023/24 season. With Calafiori, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, and Ben White, Arsenal will have one of the most solid defenses in Europe.
Calafiori is who?
Riccardo Calafiori was born on May 19, 2002, in Rome, Italy. He began serious football training at the age of 8. Calafiori played for AS Roma for 10 years, where he suffered a serious injury.
The first major shock came to Calafiori when he was 16 years old—just as he signed a professional contract with Roma’s first team. In the 82nd minute of the match between AS Roma and Viktoria Plzen, Calafiori was tackled by an opponent in a career-threatening manner. He immediately fell to the ground in pain with his right knee swollen.
A severe injury nearly ruined Calafiori’s career.
The severe injury nearly ruined Calafiori’s career. He tore his knee ligaments, ruptured his meniscus, and damaged the joint capsule. The doctor treating Calafiori said, “Injuries like this usually happen in car racing, not in football. It’s an injury that occurs only once every 10 years.”
Calafiori was sidelined for nearly a year before returning at the end of the 2019/20 season. Two years later, he provided a crucial assist for Edin Dzeko, helping Roma reach the Europa League semifinals. Fans started to dream of a new symbol after the era of Daniele De Rossi and Francesco Totti.
However, he was not utilized under the new coach Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager preferred the experience of Chris Smalling and Gianluca Mancini, helping Roma finish 6th in Serie A for two consecutive seasons.
Due to the lack of playing time, Calafiori had to leave to find opportunities elsewhere. He joined Swiss club Basel for just €2.6 million. One season later, he returned to Italy to join Bologna, and the rest is history.
“Little Maldini” of Italy
Under the guidance of coach Thiago Motta, Bologna played exceptionally well in the 2023/24 season. Calafiori was a key figure in defense, showing maturity and impressive game-reading skills. With only 32 goals conceded in 38 matches, Bologna had the 3rd best defense in the league, behind Inter Milan and Juventus.
Bologna also finished 5th in Serie A 2023/24, securing a Champions League spot for the first time in the club’s history. Individually, Calafiori was a regular starter for Bologna, scoring 2 goals and providing 5 assists, even while playing as a center-back.
His high performance in domestic competitions earned him a spot in the EURO with the Azzurri. Calafiori directly assisted Mattia Zaccagni’s goal in the 90+7th minute against Croatia, securing a 1-1 draw. This draw was crucial as Italy would likely have been eliminated from the group stage if they had lost to Croatia.
Calafiori’s style bears similarities to Italy’s football legends. Wearing the azure shirt and a headband to keep his long hair out of his eyes, Calafiori evokes comparisons to Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, and Fabio Cannavaro—Italian football legends.
After Bologna and EURO, Arsenal will be a fitting destination for Riccardo Calafiori. Journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed a conversation between the 22-year-old center-back and Bologna’s management: “Please let me fulfill my dream and go to Arsenal. I want to go to Arsenal.”
At the Emirates, Calafiori will likely play as a left-back, directly competing with Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Arsenal’s defensive lineup for the 2023/24 season.
Coach Mikel Arteta may consider deploying a three-center-back formation with Gabriel Magalhães, Riccardo Calafiori and William Saliba, with Calafiori as the central figure.