As Arsenal close in on the impressive signing of Italy star Riccardo Calafiori, TT takes an in-depth look at what makes the Bologna man a special defensive talent.
Calafiori only turned 22 in May, but the Italian defender has taken a winding road to becoming one of the most sought-after centre-backs in Europe this summer.
The Bologna star is a reported transfer target for Arsenal, with the Gunners said to be closing in on a £45million deal for the Azzurri star, fending off rival interest from such heavy hitters of the continental game as Juventus, Liverpool and Chelsea.
It was only two years ago, however, that Calafiori went to Switzerland in search of an opportunity to showcase his considerable talents, signing with Basel.
Born in Italy’s capital, Calafiori joined Roma’s academy as an eight-year-old and progressed rapidly to earn a professional contract at the Gilallorossi shortly after turning 16.
But then a serious knee injury threatened to cut short the teenager’s nascent career in October 2018. In the 82nd minute of a UEFA Youth League game against Viktoria Plzen, an over-the-ball, studs-up challenge from Vaclav Svoboda crumpled Calafiori to the turf. He’d suffered ruptures to all of his knee ligaments as well as a meniscus tear.
“This time, no decisive match, no final to win,” Calafiori wrote on Instagram as he looked ahead to a lengthy, uncertain recovery period. “There is the most important battle of my life ahead of me, and I certainly cannot back down. The time has come to put aside the boy, the, at times, little boy that I have been until now, and become a MAN.”
Sidelined for almost a full year, he returned to action for Roma’s youth team early in the 2019-20 season before making his Serie A debut later in the campaign.
Although he was one of the best prospects of his generation to have emerged from Roma’s academy, Calafiori was unable to establish himself at first-team level after Jose Mourinho took charge at the Stadio Olimpico. He was loaned to Genoa for the 2021-22 season before being sold to Basel.
“I wasn’t too convinced, initially,” Calafiori later reflected on his move to the Swiss top flight. “I was almost obliged to go [to find first-team football]. But I immediately changed my mind. They had everything a young player needs to develop. I made 30 appearances for the first time, which helped me grow.”
Calafiori makes centre-back transition
At first, he was deployed at left-back at St. Jakob-Park. It was only following Heiko Vogel’s mid-season appointment that he began to see more game time in the centre of defence. Calafiori shone in his natural position, earning a move back to Serie A after just one season, signing for Bologna last summer in a €4 million deal. Basel negotiated for a 40 per cent sell-on clause to be included, which is set to secure the Swiss club a tidy windfall.
At Bologna, Calafiori starred at the heart of the backline for Thiago Motta’s vibrant, exciting side who finished fifth in Serie A last term. His performances caught the eye of national team boss Luciano Spalletti, who picked the 22-year-old defender for his Euro 2024 squad and handed him a senior Italy debut just 10 days before the tournament began.
And Calafiori more than validated his inclusion. One of the standout stars of the group stage, it was his trademark run out from the back and calm, accurate pass to assist a 97th-minute Mattia Zaccagni goal in a 1-1 draw with Croatia that clinched Italy’s progress to the last 16. Had he not been suspended for the first knockout round due to an accumulation of yellow cards, the Azzurri might not have limped out in a defeat to Switzerland.
“It’s a disaster when strong, young players like him leave our league,” Walter Sabatini, Roma’s former director of football, told Italian radio station Sportiva when speaking about Calafiori’s imminent departure. “€45million as a valuation is a huge sum but the defenders are paid even more.
“I think it’s the minimum for someone like him: left-footed, physically imposing, authoritative and with personality in the game.
“Let’s remember what he did in the 96th minute against Croatia: he came out with the ball at his feet, ran 40 metres, took on the defence and passed the ball.
“These are plays you only do if you have quality and courage, and the courage to take risks and to execute the action is something only great players can do.”
Arsenal poised to sign special talent
Serie A’s loss will be the Premier League’s – and Arsenal’s – gain.
The centre of defence is not an obvious area of the Gunners’ squad in need of an upgrade, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes anchoring the Premier League’s best backline last season. Arsenal’s ability to run Manchester City close in the title race leaned heavily on the resoluteness of their rear guard – they conceded just 29 goals, five fewer than the next-best defensive record, which belonged to the champions.
Calafiori provides a different dimension than any of Arteta’s current centre-back options, though. His lung-bursting upfield run and incisive pass to set up that crucial last-gasp equaliser against Croatia was not a one-off event: the Bologna man established himself as one of the most creative and dynamic defenders in Europe last season when it comes to playing out from the back as both a dribbler and passer.
Of Arsenal’s incumbent first-choice centre-back pairing, Saliba ranked highest last season for completed take-ons per 90 (0.25 – 65th percentile), shot-creating actions (0.62 – 30th percentile) and assists (0.02 – 56th percentile), while Gabriel came out on top for progressive passes received with 0.18 per 90 (42nd percentile).
And it’s not as though Calafiori’s forward-thinking ability masks weaknesses in the more traditional aspects of a central defender’s role. Standing at 6ft 2ins, he is formidable in the air, ranking in the 65th percentile for aerial duels won per 90 (2.3), with an impressive success rate of 71.4 per cent.
He also ranked in the 96th percentile for interceptions per 90 (1.92) and the 74th percentile for tackles (1.8). All of these are vastly higher marks than either Saliba or Gabriel, although the Arsenal players’ lower numbers in this category reflect the fact they played in a comparatively more dominant side last term than Bologna.
Calafiori’s addition will not only bolster Arsenal’s already stellar defence with one of the best young centre-backs in the game; it will also add a new dimension to how the Gunners are able to play and build attacks from deep.
As they strive to oust Manchester City at the Premier League’s summit, Calafiori has all the tools to be transformative for Arsenal.
