Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal explained as £208million investment plan is not slowing down

Arsenal are pushing ahead in an attempt to sign Riccardo Calafiori. The interest understood by football.london to be significant has emerged to showcase the Italian international as the priority signing of this early stage of the window for the Gunners.

Having impressed with both Bologna and the Italian national side, Mikel Arteta has seemingly been convinced that the 22-year-old is the right profile to add to the squad. The move, despite his impressive showing, has raised questions however among many of the Arsenal fan base.

Queries such as why when there are needs for further forwards with Arsenal willing to spend a reported £40million-plus on another defender. Another is that after spending as much as the club have already on defenders why is there a need for another, especially with Jurrien Timber fit and available for the forthcoming campaign?

Lastly, what is it about Calafiori that makes the Italian stand out and why him? football.london is going to attempt to answer all these questions and provide insight into the context surrounding Arsenal and this move.

For starters, to get clarity on what the club have already done to construct the defence, it is best to get an understanding of what has been spent. Arsenal have signed 10 defenders since the arrival of Arteta: Cedric Soares (free), Pablo Mari (£12million), Gabriel Magalhaes (£27million), Benjamin White (£50million), Auston Trusty (£2million), Nuno Tavares (£8million), Oleksandr Zinchenko (£32million), Takehiro Tomiyasu (£18million), Jakub Kiwior (£21million) and Jurrien Timber (£38million).

£208million is the total figure which might be somewhat below the estimations of some critics but it is the reality. To get an understanding of what the four-plus years of investment compares to the club’s main title rivals there is quite the contrast.

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Comparatively, Manchester City have signed 17 defenders since Pep Guardiola’s arrival in 2016. John Stones (£47.5million), Oleksandr Zinchenko (£1.7million), Aymeric Laporte (£57million), Benjamin Mendy (£52million), Kyle Walker (£53million), Danilo (£26.5million), Phillipe Sandler (£2million), Ko Itakura (£1million), Joao Cancelo (£60million), Angelino (£5.3million), Pedro Porro (£5.5million), Ruben Dias (£65million), Nathan Ake (£41million), Yan Couto (£4million), Manuel Akanji (£15million), Sergio Gomez (£11million) and Josko Gvardiol (£77.6million).

This is a total figure of £525.1million in the eight years that Guardiola has been at the club. More than double that of Arsenal in just under double the time.

City are being linked with a summer move for Joshua Kimmich with other defenders also in the offing which would yet see that level of investment increase more. Arsenal’s movements in this market appear to fall in line with the country’s benchmark-setting title winners.

It is important to remember how easily it can be to let an ageing squad get away from you. Look to Liverpool and see the situation they find themselves in with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and plenty more having already seen Sadio Mane, James Milner and Jordan Henderson depart.

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Gabriel Magalhaes will turn 27 this December, and Ben White turning the same age two months before in October. By no means are these two close to their twilight years but bringing in 22-year-old Calafiori, a player already a full-starting Italian international demonstrates the importance of long-term planning and investment.

In addition, the left side, particularly at left-back, is the area of most upheaval in the back line. Kiwior, Tomiyasu and Zinchenko are not nailed on starters and Timber’s position is yet to be determined although he came on for White on the final day of the 2023/24 season to play right-back.

Calafiori could become an undisputed starting player for the left side while also providing competitive depth for Gabriel. With Calafiori it gives Arteta eight defenders for four positions averaging two per role which is exactly what anyone would expect from a top side.

Arsenal were fortunate that White, Saliba and Gabriel remained relatively injury-free throughout the entirety of last season and this is never something that should be taken for granted. Another defender was always on the cards and Calafiori makes sense.

His numbers are impressive and compare well to existing players in the group. A great reader of play and interceptor who possesses fantastic technical ability to use the ball in both progressive passing avenues and whilst in possession of it, carrying it into the midfield.

Under Arteta, it will be intriguing to see how he would tailor Calafiori’s traits to the Arsenal philosophy. However, fans should be emboldened by a potential deal and excited for yet more quality and youth entering the senior setup and neither should they be concerned that this deal rules out moves for attacking players later in the window.