'The vision': Journalist shares what he was told to expect from Arsenal just before Calafiori links emerged

07/04/2024 03:45 PM

Journalist James Benge has shared what he was told about what to expect from Arsenal in the transfer market just before links with Riccardo Calafiori emerged.

Riccardo Calafiori appears to be right near the top of Arsenal’s transfer wishlist, with the Italian proving to be one of the most impressive components of Luciano Spalletti’s squad at Euro 2024 this summer.

There have even been claims that Arsenal have seen a bid for Calafiori accepted, as they look to win the race for the Bologna star.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal can get a deal across the line, but fans may also be intrigued to know how Mikel Arteta intends to use the 22-year-old, who can play as a centre-back or a left-back.

What was expected of Arsenal before Riccardo Calafiori links emerged

It would certainly be a surprise if he was signed to play as a starting centre-back ahead of Gabriel Magalhaes, but Arsenal are a team looking to battle for both the Premier League and Champions League, so they certainly need plenty of depth across the pitch to handle the demands of the season.

And it seems that Calafiori may tick a lot of boxes for what Arsenal are looking for in this window, with Benge telling Extra Time that the club were not exactly planning to make a marquee signing this summer.

“In terms of the Arsenal fit, he makes sense. Look, I was told just before the Calafiori news broke that what we should be thinking about is likely signings in the Jorginho, Trossard mould, the sort of players that may not be immediate foundational pieces of the first-team, but would be in the first 15 names on the team sheet and I think wherever Calafiori lands, it seems like that’s the vision for him,” he said.

Something has to give

Depth is certainly not going to be an issue for Arsenal should they manage to sign Calafiori, with Arteta also able to call upon the likes of Jurrien Timber, Jakub Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu who can play in the middle or the left of the defence. Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko may also have a question mark hanging over him.

Arteta has sprung a few surprises during his time in charge, most notably when he decided to replace Aaron Ramsdale as number one last season. So he may be hoping to keep all of the defenders – perhaps including Calafiori – on their toes before deciding his preferred backline for the campaign.