Riccardo Calafiori’s transfer to Arsenal is nearing completion. The Italian defender is due to be in London on Friday for the first part of his medical treatment before heading to Los Angeles to join his new teammates, CBS Sports sources said. More than a month of talks between Bologna and the Gunners have been completed, a deal worth an initial $43.4 million, making Mikel Arteta his first choice to strengthen the defence.
Such high-price deals rarely move at the speed that supporters might like, even when they involve simpler transactions between two parties. However, Calafiori’s move is anything but. Bologna, Basel and Roma: all three deserve a piece of the pie.
Why Calafiori’s deal is so complex
To understand the specific complexities surrounding Calafiori’s move to the Premier League, it is first necessary to understand his career to date. At 16, the youngster, born in the Eternal City and rising through the Roma academy he joined at the age of nine, seemed to be developing into a marauding left-back, one with such rich potential that super agent Mino Raiola had already tricked him. upwards. Then came a horrific injury, a thumping challenge from a Viktoria Plzen player that saw his right knee swell to three times its size. All ligaments were torn, as were his meniscus and joint capsule. Such injuries are extremely rare in football. When they do occur, they often end their careers.
It took him almost a year to return to the field. When he did, he started off promisingly, but reports in Italy suggest he was always fighting a battle to convince his club he could be the player he once was. When Jose Mourinho – hardly a coach known for his patient development of young people – took over, the writing was on the wall for Calafiori. After a loan with Genoa, a $2.8 million deal was agreed with Basel. Just in case, Roma inserted a resale fee.
Moving to Switzerland turned out to be the making of Calafiori. A year later he was back in his home country, Basel, where he made a profit of about $1.5 million. But then again, they planned to make money later. A resale clause was agreed with Bologna, which would be between 40 and 50 percent.
It’s no wonder that when Arsenal came knocking for a star of both the last Serie A campaign and the 2024 European Championship, there were complications beyond just agreeing a deal with Bologna. CBS Sports reported last week that an agreement had been reached on the clause I Rossoblù and Basel were the remaining issue to be resolved when the Gunners found a pleasant structure with Calafiori’s employers. Roma also claimed they were owed even more money for Calafiori and according to CBS Sports sources, they are expected to earn 40 percent of the 50 percent Basel gets, an amount that equates to around $9.8 million.
A whole series of special complexities then seems to be nearing its end, a particularly complicated tangle that Arsenal believe is worth it for a player whose versatility – at Bologna he excelled as a ball carrier and progressive from the left of the back three – – is especially appreciated by Arteta in his full backs.
Emile Smith Rowe and Fulham are closing in
Meanwhile, with Arsenal closing in on their second permanent signing of the summer after David Raya, talks are progressing towards the sale of Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham. The 23-year-old will remain in Los Angeles during his side’s preseason tour as both clubs negotiate the final details of a deal worth up to £35 million, including add-ons. Talks continue to be positive, but so far without a final agreement that will allow the midfielder to travel back to London.
A club record purchase by the Cottagers, the sale could ultimately equal Arsenal’s own record, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s 2017 move to Liverpool. The move will also give Smith Rowe a chance at the first football team he has struggled to find in north London since the injury-ravaged 2022.