It’s been over three weeks since the transfer window swung open, and while there has been some movement here and there, it feels like clubs are waiting for the European Championships to end before really splashing the cash.
In the case of Arsenal, they have made two permanent signings thus far, welcoming 18-year-old Lucas Nygaard to the team and executing the option to buy in David Raya’s loan deal from Brentford.
However, based on recent reports, Mikel Arteta looks set to welcome a player who has caught the footballing world’s attention recently and shares many similarities with the Gunners’ star right-back, Ben White.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are edging closer to securing the services of Bologna’s star defender Riccardo Calafiori after agreeing personal terms with the Italian.
The journalist revealed that the Gunners are now the clear favourites to land the player’s signature, as there have been no talks with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, or Chelsea Football Club.
An earlier report from Romano revealed that the North Londoners have agreed to a five-year deal with the 22-year-old that will see him earn €4m-per-year, the equivalent of around £3.4m.
Reports over the last week or so claim that the transfer fee will cost Arsenal around £42m, and while it’s a lot of money altogether, Calafiori looks like an incredibly exciting defender, and the fact he shares some similarities with White is undoubtedly reassuring.
The similarities between Calafiori and White
So, while Calafirori enjoyed an exceptional Serie A campaign with Bologna last season and helped them qualify for the Champions League, he really caught the eye of the wider footballing world thanks to his impressive displays for a lacklustre Italy team at the Euros this summer.
He started and starred in all three group games for the Azzurri in Germany and only missed the round of 16 match against Switzerland – the game that saw the team eliminated – due to picking up two yellow cards.
In the three games he did feature, he played as a centre-back, but across his career, he’s started more games at full-back, in the first fundamental similarity he shares with White.
For example, in 129 appearances, he has started 49 games at left-back and two at right-back while starting 43 at centre-back. The Englishman, who is four years his senior, has now reached 100 starts at right-back, and with how his career has progressed in recent seasons, he seems destined to surpass his 200 starts at centre-back within a few years.
Alongside their positional versatility, the two stars are also progressive and forward-thinking defenders. For example, last season, the Italian “monster,” as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, scored two goals and provided five assists in 33 appearances for the Rossoblu, equating to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.71 games.
Likewise, the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem scored four goals and provided five assists in 51 appearances for the Gunners, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 5.66 games for the Premier League runners-up.
Ultimately, if Arsenal are to go on and finally overtake Manchester City as the best team in England, they will need a squad bursting to the seams with talent. While they already had the best defence in the league last season, adding a player like Calafiori can only be a good thing, especially as he already seems to have a lot in common with the incredible White.
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