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Arsenal dealt blow as £24m player Mikel Arteta wanted to sign along with Riccardo Calafiori pens new contract

Billy Meyers

Sun 21 July 2024 18:45, UK

Arsenal have now been handed a transfer blow after one of Mikel Arteta’s targets signed a new contract.

The Spaniard was hoping to sign another defender as well as Riccardo C💦al꧑afiori – who is close to joining the Gunners in a move from Bologna.

So, who have Arsenal now missed out on? Let’s take a look…

Arsenal target Ilya Zabarnyi signs new contract

Ily๊a Zabarnyi has now opted to sign a new contract with Bournemouth.

It comes after claimed that Arsenal want to sign the Ukraꦯine international this summer as well as Calafiori, as the 📖Spaniard attempts to significantly improve his already-imperi𒈔ous backline.

Zabarnyi has become a standout player in the Premier League ever since his move from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2023, playing 90 minutes in all but one of Bournemo🌃uth’s 38 Premier League games last season, helping the Cherries finish 12th while keeping eight clean sheets.

The Bournemouth No.27 – who would have been welcomed to Arsenal by a fellow countryman⛦ in Oleksandr Zinchenko – has penned a deal running until July 2029 after his outstanding 2023/24 campaign, his first full season in English footba⛎ll.

Not the worst news for Mikel Arteta

While there is no denying that Zabarnyi is a brilliant footballer, Arsenal simply do not need another central de✱fender in addition to Calafiori.

The Italian will a🌌dd to a defensive crop which already contains Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Jurrien Timber when he arrives in north London, while Declan Rice and Thomas Partey can also play in defence if need be.

Therefore, it would have made no sense to spend a huge fee on Zabarnyi, who Caught Offside believe Bournemouth valued at around £40m before his contract extension.

READ MORE: Playerꦓ Mikel Arteta really wants to sign now sends message to Arse﷽nal new boy

Hopefully, that money is put to better use by Arteta and Edu, as we belieꦚve the defensive department no longer needs any further reinforcements once Calafiori is s♔igned.