Arsenal accelerating efforts to sign Bologna defender Riccardo ...

Arsenal are accelerating their efforts to sign Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori.

Arsenal are now progressing the situation and looking to complete a deal for the 22-year-old as soon as possible, with other clubs looking for a similar profile this summer.

The Italy international is Mikel Arteta’s top defensive target this summer and is comfortable playing either as a centre-half or at left-back, and impressed at Euro 2024.

Calafiori joined Roma as an eight-year-old and spent 12 years at the club, making 18 first-team appearances and scoring one goal before joining Swiss club Basel in 2022.

The Italian spent a year at Basel, primarily playing as a left-back or left wing-back, before joining Bologna in 2023 — where head coach Thiago Motta moved him into a central defensive position. Basel have a sell-on clause between 40 and 50 per cent for Calafiori.

Calafiori impressed at Bologna, helping the club to a top-four finish in Serie A and a return to the Champions League — a competition in which they had not played since the 1964-65 season.

The defender’s performances at Bologna saw him called up to the Italy national team for the first time. He has been capped five times and started all three group stage matches at this summer’s European Championship, but missed the last 16 defeat to Switzerland through suspension.

(Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

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David Ornstein joined The Athletic in October 2019 after 12 years as a sports journalist and correspondent at the BBC. In the role of Football Correspondent, he is responsible for producing exclusive and original stories and interviews, offering unique insight and analysis. He works across video, audio and the written word. Follow David on Twitter @David_Ornstein