Only the medicals and the official announcement are missing before Riccardo Calafiori is a new Arsenal player. The lawyers of the two sides have been tending to the paperwork in the last couple of days after the two front offices virtually shook hands. Previous resale clauses in favor of Basel and Roma made things more complicated, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.
The Gunners will play €45M plus €5M add-ons for the Azzurri star. Bologna will pocket €23M, while the rest will go to his previous teams. He’ll ink a five-year contract with €4M wages. Despite having to split the profit, the Felsinei will still cash in significantly since they had paid €4M to bring him back to Italy from Switzerland.
Arsenal gained a decisive lead in the Calafiori race once Juventus pulled out because Rossoblù’s president Joey Saputo vetoed the sale to them because they poached Thiago Motta. Plus, the defender will earn significantly more in London than he would have in Turin. He has 43 Serie A appearances under his belt, in which he has scored twice and assisted 7 times. He blossomed last season under the Italian Brazilian manager, earning the starting job in the Euro.
Bologna are waiting for an answer from Mats Hummels, to whom they have offered a one-year contract with a €2.3M salary.
Our Take on Calafiori and Arsenal
The fee is fairly insane for a player who has truly shined one for just one campaign but he couldn’t have fared any better in 2023/2024. He’s tailor-made for a side that likes to have possession and adopts a very modern style. Juventus probably wouldn’t have spent that much anyway.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |