Riccardo Calafiori: Three Arsenal players who could lose their starting position

Jacque Talbot

29 Jul 2024 18:02 BST
4 min read

Arsenal have signed Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna - but his arrival could see several players' game-time severely reduced.

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The defender was arguably the biggest asset to Italy in their miserable Euro 2024 campaign, but fans of Serie A would have known all about his ability in the build-up to the competition.

The Gunners moved swiftly to agree terms with the 22-year-old, but talks with Bologna dragged on for some time due to Basel being owed 50 per cent of the profits generated from his sale.

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Chelsea and Juventus had also been linked with a move for Calafiori, but Arsenal ultimately did manage to strike a deal.

With Calafiori now officially an Arsenal player, which current members of Gunners' squad could lose out?

Jakub Kiwior/Oleksandr Zinchenko

Although Calafiori played at centre-back for Bologna last season, he is equally capable of playing at left-back and is more of a natural fit in this role.

Considering the recent trend of playing centre-backs at full-back, it's reasonable to suggest that Calafiori will become Arsenal's first-choice left-back.

If that happens, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko stand to lose out.

© IMAGO - Riccardo Calafiori is close to signing for Arsenal, reports in Italy suggest

Gabriel

Gabriel formed an impenetrable partnership with William Saliba last season, but the Brazilian could find himself dropped if Mikel Arteta opts to play Calafiori at left centre-back.

The Italian starred in this role at Euro 2024 and his arrival could see Gabriel's game time diminish slightly.

Benjamin White

With Calafiori arriving, most likely to play left-back, it could see Benjamin White inadvertently lose out.

Jurrien Timber was expected to play left-back before his injury last season and with the Dutchman set to face competition from Calafiori in that role, he may swap to the opposite flank.

If that happens, White could be dropped from Arsenal's preferred XI, despite his great form last year.

Current ETV

Riccardo Calafiori

D (C)

Bologna

Riccardo Calafiori

D (C)

Bologna

ETV Range

€12.9M - €21.5M

The versatile Calafiori

Calafiori is capable of playing as a left-sided centre back or a left back. He was deployed mostly in the former in Thiago Motta’s 4-2-3-1 system last year, as Bologna qualified for the 2024-25 Champions League - an incredible achievement for a provincial side that had not been in Europe (discounting the minor Intertoto Cup) this century.

A big reason for Bologna’s Cinderella story was their mean defence, led by Calafiori, that conceded just 32 goals in 38 games. Only two teams in Serie A conceded less goals.

Born in Rome, Calafiori grew up in the Roma youth system as a highly-rated left-back and graduated through the ranks before making his senior debut in 2020.

However, he failed to make the grade at Roma and was loaned first to Genoa before being sold to Basel in Switzerland in 2022.

Bologna brought him back to Italy in the summer of 2023 and that is where his career really took off under Motta.