Riccardo Calafiori has signed a long-term deal with Arsenal after transferring from Bologna. The Italy international, capable of playing both center-back and left-back, adds strength to the Premier League’s most stringent defense from last season.
Mikel Arteta is delighted with the acquisition of Riccardo Calafiori. “Yes, very happy. It took a while. He is a player that we have monitored for about a year,” Arteta said. “We were really short in the backline last season in terms of numbers. We demanded so much from them. Wily [Saliba], for example, played every minute of the Premier League, and we believe that we have to make them much more protected. We identified him as a top player, a talent who has the skills and qualities that are going to make us better. He is still a player with a huge capacity to develop.”
Arteta emphasized that Riccardo Calafiori fits well into Arsenal’s game model. “Both positions especially and the way we want to play and the things we want to evolve. In our game model, he is a player who is going to fit really well for what we want.”
The addition of Riccardo Calafiori provides more options at the back, preventing Arsenal stars like Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba from burning out in future seasons. Arteta highlighted this benefit, saying, “Especially the numbers. We ended up with six defenders in the backline. At this level, you have to be really lucky to sustain a season like this.”
Arsenal heads into the pre-season friendly against Liverpool with a stronger defense, having recently secured a 2-1 victory over Manchester United, thanks to goals from Gabriel and Martinelli. The inclusion of Riccardo Calafiori is expected to further bolster their defensive lineup for the upcoming season.
