Why Arsenal's Calafiori transfer makes a MOCKERY of Man Utd's Yoro deal

Suraj Radia

29 Jul 2024 18:31 BST
3 min read

Arsenal have completed the signing of Riccardo Calafiori in a transfer which could end up proving to be a bargain for the Gunners despite a seemingly large fee.

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A deal worth an initial €40 million, plus an additional €5m in add-ons and a sell-on clause was agreed with Bologna, with Calafiori penning a long-term contract with the Mikel Arteta's men.

The signing is Arsenal’s first new arrival of the summer and a major win for Arteta, who reportedly had to ease the concerns of some figures at the club to sign Calafiori.

It was thought that Arsenal were reluctant to pay such a large fee to strengthen an area where the Gunners already have some depth, such as Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and the forgotten Kieran Tierney.

However, the deal has proven to be cheaper than several other defensive signings in the Premier League this summer, such as Manchester United’s €62m capture of Leny Yoro, for a player who starred for his country at Euro 2024.

Having seen the likes of Max Kilman and Ian Maatsen also join Premier League sides for similar fees, the arrival of Calafiori already looks like a steal and could be even more valuable if he makes the difference for Arsenal in the title race next season.

© IMAGO - Riccardo Calafiori was a standout player for Italy at Euro 2024.

Calafiori is a value solution to a long-term problem for Arteta

Calafiori is a versatile option in defence, having played the majority of his career at left-back but being converted to a centre-back last season while playing for Bologna.

The 22-year-old’s profile is similar to Ben White’s on the right side of the defence, allowing Arteta a fluid formation in transition and solving a problem position for the Arsenal boss.

Calafiori has also been praised for his progressive style of play, being competent in all phases of the pitch and labelled as the ‘perfect Premier League defender’ by Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio.

STATS

R. Calafiori

D (CL)

Bologna

R. Calafiori

D (CL)

Bologna

30

Games
2

Goals
5

Assists

Considering their rivals have spent more money on unproven prospects like Yoro, while also being quoted more than €80 million for players like Jarrad Branthwaite, Calafiori’s fee will feel insignificant if he lives up to the promise suggested.

United will feel Yoro has a higher ceiling than Calafiori and, while that could end up being true, there is less pressure on the Italian to succeed and demonstrate his pedigree as a first-team player in a potentially title-winning side.