Manchester City Are Keeping A Keen Eye On This Serie A Defender: Should Pep Go For Him? | OneFootball

In a recent report, The Athletic mentioned that Manchester City are keeping a keen eye on Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori this summer. It has been stated that the Mancunian club are keeping tabs on the Italian centre-back.

Calafiori enjoyed a solid campaign at the Serie A club recently as he was responsible for putting in a string of impressive displays at the centre of their backline. The Italian defensive ace was involved in 30 league matches for his current employers last season, netting two goals and securing five assists in various competitions.

The 22-year-old was a rock at the back and deserves credit for averaging 1.6 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 2.5 clearances per game in Serie A. He was even careful when interchanging possession with his teammates based on his pass completion rate of 89.8% in the Italian first division (stats viawhoscored).

His current contract at the Italian club will run out in the summer of 2027 which could make it difficult for Man City to get a deal done for him on the cheap this off-season.

(From L) Italy’s defender #05 Riccardo Calafiori, Italy’s defender 04 Alessandro Buongiorno and Italy’s defender #15 Raoul Bellanova attend a MD-1 training session during the UEFA Euro 2024 European Football Championship, at the Hemberg-Stadion in Iserlohn on June 19, 2024. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

Should Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Go For Calafiori?

Calafiori is a good tackler of the ball and can time his challenges well to secure possession back for his side on the defensive third of the pitch. He usually clears the danger when the opposition are on the front foot and can use his robust 1.88m to dominate the opposition attackers in the air. The Italian defender can even play his way out from the back. He mainly operates as a centre-half but can also play as a left-back if told to do so.

We can expect Calafiori to bring more bite and steel to Man City head coach Pep Guardiola’s defence. He has what it takes to fight for regular first-team football at the Etihad Stadium next season.

At 22, Calafiori has the potential to be a future star in English football. However, there are some concerns over whether he can adapt to the high intensity of Premier League football if the Mancunian club manage to sign him this summer. Still, Guardiola should go for a defender of Calafiori’s skillset in this transfer window.