On July 30, Arsenal signed the 22-year-old Italian international Calafiori from Bologna for a transfer fee of 50 million euros.
Arsenal’s head coach Mikel Arteta explained the reasoning behind this signing, stating that the overburdened defensive line last season necessitated reinforcement.
Speaking about the signing of Calafiori, Arteta said, “I’m very happy. We’ve been watching him for a year. Without a doubt, he’s a real talent who can make us better. Calafiori can play as a central defender or left-back, and he is a player who can adapt to all our needs.”
Arteta continued, elaborating on the reasons for bringing in Calafiori: “Last season, we only had six defenders available for the backline, with Gabriel and Saliba playing almost every game. In such circumstances, it was quite challenging to get through the entire season. Our schedule was incredibly intense, and we couldn’t keep running the defense at an overload, so we needed to bring in high-quality defenders.”
Arteta mentioned that Calafiori had his heart set on Arsenal: “I spoke with him before, and I knew other teams were pursuing Calafiori. But Calafiori told me that he only wanted to come and play for Arsenal. We are proud when high-level players want to join us.”