Arsenal looks set to complete a deal for Riccardo Calafiori in the coming days. The Gunners recently agreed a final fee with Bologna regarding the Italian defender late last week. The two sides were previously locked in negotiations for weeks. Nevertheless, the Premier League side will pay Bologna a flat transfer fee of $43 million for the Italy international. An additional $6 million could also be sent to the Italian club as part of the package.

Other top teams such as Real Madrid, Juventus, and Chelsea tried to swoop in to hijack the move while Arsenal negotiated with Bologna. Calafiori, however, only had eyes for the Gunners.

The defender is currently on vacation, but he is set to take the first part of his Arsenal medical in London. Assuming all goes well, the Italian will then meet up with his new teammates in the United States. The Gunners are currently touring America as part of their summer preseason preparations. Calafiori will sign a five-year deal with Arsenal.

Calafiori answers weak spot in Arsenal defense

The defender has fans across Europe. However, many Arsenal fans believe that the Gunners do not outwardly need Calafiori. After all, the Gunners had the best defense in the Premier League last season. Arsenal only allowed 29 total English top-flight goals in the 2023/24 campaign. To put this defensive domination in perspective, rivals such as Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Manchester United all allowed at least double this figure.

The north London club also has Oleksandr Zinchenko as their typical starter at left-back. While Calafiori can play in either central defense or out on the left, manager Mikel Arteta will almost certainly deploy his recruit at left-back. Zinchenko only arrived at Arsenal in a $38 million move from Manchester City two years ago.

While the Ukrainian is liked inside the club, he does have his issues. For starters, Zinchenko has suffered six separate injuries since joining the team. As a result, the defender has missed a total of 28 matches during this relatively short timeframe. With the defender on the sidelines, Arteta deployed either Takehiro Tomiyasu or Jakub Kiwior in the position.

Tomiyasu is a quality defender. Yet, he operates better on the right side. The Japan international also has his injury issues as well. Kiwior, on the other hand, filled out fairly admirably at times during the 2023/24 campaign but is not quite ready to become a full-time starter.

Not only has Zinchenko struggled with setbacks, but the veteran defender also has issues on the pitch. The Ukrainian provides Arsenal with a boost going forward from the defense. However, he is admittedly not the most talented one-on-one defender. Because of these problems, the left-back position was one of Arsenal’s few weak spots last season.

Arsenal still has money and time to bring in other recruits

Despite the big move for Calafiori, Arsenal should still be able to target players in other positions. Teams may bring in however many players they can afford. And the Gunners do have additional funds to strengthen their squad. This war chest could swell as the club sells Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham for around $45 million. Marseille is also expressing interest in backup striker Eddie Nketiah.

Adding a top center forward to help compete with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus is a potential move for Arsenal. Arsenal could also bring in a more defensive midfielder or a wide playmaker.

Nevertheless, grabbing Calafiori should be a major statement by the Gunners. The 22-year-old defender is one of the top young players in his position on the continent. Arsenal had a hole, and they filled it with a budding star. The Gunners are adding a quality piece to an area that was already a strength.

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