Romano presents Man Utd with perfect hijack opportunity for Euro 2024 hero

Tom Weber

Updated: 25 Jun 2024 16:33 BST
4 min read

Riccardo Calafiori's move to Juventus could be off, according to Fabrizio Romano.

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The Bologna centre-back has been one of the biggest revelations in European football over the past 12 months. Young and left-footed, Calafiori fits the bill in terms of what many big clubs are looking for this summer.

The 22-year-old has been given the chance to shine at Euro 2024 and he has certainly taken this opportunity by the scruff of the neck, starring for Italy and setting up the crucial equaliser against Croatia to seal progression past the group stage in the most dramatic fashion.

Several sides have been credited with an interest in the Bologna star, but Juventus are the club who, for a long time, appeared to be his next destination. This, however, is no longer the case, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Though Calafiori has already given the green light to a transfer to Turin, no agreement between Bologna and the Bianconeri has been reached, with the former unhappy about the latter poaching their coach Thiago Motta. Moreover, Bologna would prefer to keep Calafiori and they will only entertain offers - and just big ones at that as Basel would be owed 40 per cent of the fee - after Euro 2024.

Man Utd's hijack opportunity

Romano states that Juventus' signing of Calafiori is in real danger and this presents other clubs with a hijack opportunity, chief among them Man Utd, who are looking for a young but not exorbitantly expensive centre-back.

Man Utd have been linked with a move for Jarrad Branthwaite, but Everton's demands of €80+ million are too much for the Red Devils. While it is not clear how much Bologna would want for Calafiori after the Euros, it is difficult to imagine them asking for a similar amount.

Calafiori currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €16.3 million, with his Euro 2024 performances not yet taken into account. Bologna could realistically ask for €40m-€50m, which is an amount Man Utd are willing to spend this summer.

According to data analytics firm SciSports, the 22-year-old has the potential to eventually be a better player than any of Man Utd's current centre-backs and by quite some distance too. Man Utd would not have the same problems as Juventus in the talks with Bologna and would be well advised to make a move for one of the most promising centre-backs in world football.