How Arsenal will line up with Riccardo Calafiori

Updated: 3 Jul 2024 15:39 BST
4 min read

Arsenal are reportedly leading the chase for Italy standout Riccardo Calafiori.

The Gunners are one of several clubs interested in signing the Bologna centre-back off the back of a stunning breakout season. Having led the Serie A minnows into the Champions League, Calafiori bossed attackers at Euro 2024 and put his name firmly on the map.

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Amid interest from Chelsea, Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen, it is Arsenal who now appear to be closing in on the signing of the versatile 22-year-old, who actually started out as a left-back before being converted into a central defender.

Calafiori had been close to joining Juventus, but the deal collapsed when the Bianconeri poached Bologna's coach Thiago Motta. Arsenal subsequently swooped, presenting the Italian with an exciting project that convinced him to consider a switch to north London.

The defender's arrival at the Emirates would be interesting because Arsenal are already well-stocked in the defensive department, so how would they line up with the Euro 2024 star?

How Arsenal would line up with Calafiori

Off the back of his impressive season, Calafiori will arrive in the Premier League expecting to be a starter even at a massive club like Arsenal. This could force Mikel Arteta into tinkering with his backline.

William Saliba is undroppable, while Gabriel Magalhaes enjoyed a very good 2023/24 season. It would be harsh to drop the Brazilian, but Arteta actually started the bygone season with Gabriel surprisingly on the bench.

Calafiori could come in to supplant the 26-year-old. Alternatively, the left-footed Italian could come in to play at full-back, with Arteta keen to copy Pep Guardiola's approach of having a backline of four players who are all capable of playing centre-back.

As a player who can feature both centrally and on the left, Calafiori appears ideal for Arteta's system. However, Arsenal of course signed Jurrien Timber for just that role last summer and he would have probably established himself as the starter in that position by now had he not torn his ACL.

© IMAGO - Jurrien Timber will be the likely victim of Riccardo Calafiori's arrival

So, Calafiori could come in to play at left-back, while Timber moves to the right, where he would perhaps be more natural. There, however, he would have to compete with Ben White, who also enjoyed a very good campaign last term.

It is clear that the arrival of Calafiori will give Arteta the best kind of selection headache. We believe that the 22-year-old will come in to start at left-back for the Gunners alongside Gabriel and Saliba, while White will keep his place on the right over Timber.

The rest of the team will likely remain unchanged, with David Raya starting in goal, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Thomas Partey or a new No.6 making up the Gunners' engine room. Up top, Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli will start on the left, Bukayo Saka on the right and Kai Havertz centrally.