Arsenal reportedly take a significant step in their bid to sign Italy international Riccardo Calafiori from Serie A club Bologna.
Arsenal have reportedly agreed personal terms with Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori ahead of a potential summer transfer.
The Italy international is attracting significant interest after enjoying success in his first season as a Bologna player.
Calafiori, who completed a move from Basel last summer, established himself as a regular fixture in the Bologna side, featuring in 30 of the club’s 38 Serie A matches.
The 22-year-old played his part in a backline that achieved the third-best defensive record in the Italian top flight, helping Bologna secure Champions League qualification via a fifth-place finish.
Despite having a contract until June 2027, Calafiori appears to be nearing an exit just one year after joining the Serie A side.
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Arsenal make significant progress in Calafiori pursuit
Chelsea and Juventus have shown an interest, but it is Arsenal who have moved to the front of the queue for Calafiori’s signature.
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have taken significant steps in their pursuit, reaching an agreement with the Italian over personal terms.
The Gunners have agreed terms over a long-term contract which would see Calafiori commit to the North London club until June 2029.
While Arsenal are making progress in their pursuit, they still need to negotiate a fee with the player’s current employers.
Bologna are believed to be holding out for €50m (£42m), with 50% of any sale over €4.5m (£3.8m) set to go to Calafiori’s previous club Basel.
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Arsenal closing in on second summer signing
Arsenal have already made one new addition this summer, having converted David Raya‘s loan move into a permanent transfer.
Mikel Arteta will be keen to make further additions as he looks to build a squad that can mount another title push after going close in the last two seasons.
On the face it, Arsenal may not be in desperate need of defensive reinforcements after they finished the 2023-24 campaign with the best defensive record in the top flight.
However, the Gunners seemingly want to bring in a new centre-back to provide competition to their first-choice centre-back pairing of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.
Calafiori would also give Arsenal another option on the left side of defence, having played as a full-back on a number of occasions throughout his career.