Arsenal face competition from Chelsea and Liverpool for €40m+ Calafiori signature | OneFootball

Arsenal‘s hopes of signing Bologna’s highly-rated defender Riccardo Calafiori face significant hurdles, with the Italian club reportedly encouraging bids from several Premier League rivals.

ISERLOHN, GERMANY: Riccardo Calafiori of Italy arrives at the training ground at Hemberg-Stadion on June 23, 2024. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images for FIGC)

Calafiori, who was one of few bright spots for Italy at Euro 2024, is valued at between €40-50 million by Bologna, a significant increase on the €4 million they paid for him just a year ago.

While it was reported that Bologna initially preferred to sell Calafiori to Juventus, their recent appointment of former Bologna manager Thiago Motta has apparently complicated negotiations. Bologna are now reportedly favouring a move to the Premier League to avoid strengthening a direct rival, although why that is any different under Motta than it was before is not clear in the Italian reports.

Calafiori goes armoured: worth over 40 million Italian does not give it up. The coach will talk to the player, the club proposes a retouch of the engagement and an extra year of contract. Premier League Danger: Arsenal, Chelsea Liverpool and Tottenham – La Gazetta Dello Sport 1 July 2024

Arsenal have already expressed interest, but face stiff competition from Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham, all of whom are eager to strengthen their defensive options.

Bologna’s asking price, likely exceeding £40 million, could also pose a challenge for Arsenal, especially with Basel entitled to 40% of any profit on the player’s sale and Arsenal needing to sell to boost their transfer kitty. However, Arsenal‘s existing relationship with Bologna, having previously signed Takehiro Tomiyasu, could prove advantageous.

The Gunners will also need to convince Calafiori to choose a move to England over staying in Italy, where Juventus has reportedly already secured his approval. While Arsenal‘s participation in the Champions League could be a tempting factor, the allure of remaining in his home country might prove difficult to overcome as is often the case when trying to tempt Italians away from Italy.