Heavily linked with a move to Juventus since the beginning of the summer, Riccardo Calafiori is close to joining Arsenal. Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims the Gunners will hold showdown talks with Bologna next week to close their pursuit of the versatile defender.
New Juventus manager Thiago Motta was desperate to lure the 22-year-old to Turin after swapping Renato Dall’Ara for the Allianz Stadium at the end of last season. Everything seemed in place for the Italy international to follow the same path before Arsenal joined the fray.
Bologna’s €40 million asking price has fended off Juventus, opening the door to Mikel Arteta’s side to swoop in and steal the ex-Basel star. Arsenal have wasted no time. They’ve already agreed on a five-year contract with the player worth €4m net per season.
On top of that, last season’s Premier League runners-up have put a substantial €50m bid on the table. Meanwhile, Juventus couldn’t go beyond €20m. That puts Arsenal in pole position to sign the in-demand Bologna ace, who enjoyed an impressive EURO 2024 campaign.
Calafiori caught the eye of Juventus before the tournament. But the Bianconeri had to wait until the end of Italy’s faltered attempt to defend the crown to return to the negotiating table. Unfortunately, it was too little too late, with Arsenal moving ahead of the queue.
Next week will reportedly be crucial, with a crunch meeting between Arsenal and Bologna waiting in the wings. It looks like a mere formality, meaning Juventus must look elsewhere to reinforce their backline.
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