Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal is done, as per Fabrizio Romano, as the insider has stated final talks over the prior sell-on fee between Bologna and Basel have come to a conclusion.
Two seasons ago, the Gunners struggled at the back end, as the favoured defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba were split up due to the latter’s injury. It meant Rob Holding had to play at centre-back, and the drop off was noticeable.
Poor performances meant Manchester City caught Arsenal and won the league, despite Mikel Arteta’s side holding top spot for most of the campaign.
Holding was then shipped out in a sign of the manager’s desire to not have anyone weighing his side down, and after another second-placed finish last term, he’s once again looking to shore up the Arsenal back line.
Italy centre-back Calafiori – also capable of playing left-back – has dominated the club’s thinking in recent months.
His dominant display in the first match of the recent Euros put a lot of sides on notice, partly due to the fact it was only the 22-year-old’s second start for his country.
