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Transfers
The key reason why Riccardo Calafiori decided to join Arsenal instead of Real Madrid
Arsenal have announced the signing of Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna.
The Gunners were keen to strengthen the left side of their defence since before the window even opened, and they were linked with a number of names.
Calafiori, however, became Mikel Arteta’s top target this summer, and after weeks of negotiations with Bologna, Arsenal managed to get the deal over the line.
The Premier League runners-up should be really happy with this signing.
Why Riccardo Calafiori picked Arsenal over Real Madrid and Juventus
Calafiori was a wanted man this summer.
The Italian had an outstanding season for Bologna in the 2023/24 campaign. He followed that up with a few remarkable performances at Euro 2024 as well.
A number of clubs had been keeping an eye on Calafiori before the Euros, but that turned into concrete interest after his performances for Italy.
Arsenal decided to push to sign Calafiori, but Gunners fans were constantly worried that another club could hijack their move to sign him.
have now shared what actually happened.
The report confirms that clubs like Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich were all interested in signing Calafiori this summer.
It has been revealed that there were fears at Arsenal about Real Madrid coming in to sign the defender, which made Edu Gaspar accelerate negotiations.
Despite all the interest, Calafiori only wanted to join Arsenal for one key reason – Arteta.
The report claims that Arsenal have been Calafiori’s priority destination since the end of last season. They checked all the boxes he was looking for – London, Premier League and an exciting young team.
However, ‘above everything else, he wanted to play for Mikel Arteta’, reveals the outlet.
READ MORE: Riccardo Calafiori reveals what Jorginho told him about Arsenal during Euro 2024
Arteta’s pull has helped Arsenal sign three superstars
Arsenal have had to go up against some of the biggest clubs in the world in transfer battles over the last year or so.
In 2023, Arteta managed to beat Manchester City to Declan Rice’s signature, while the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid had to drop out of the race to sign Kai Havertz because of the Arsenal manager.
Now, the Spaniard has done it again – he has beaten a lot of competition to secure Calafiori’s signature, and we are convinced that the Italian will be a huge hit at the Emirates.
Arsenal take on Liverpool late on Wednesday night, and there is a chance Calafiori will make his debut in that game.
It will be interesting to see where he will play – at left-back or in central defence.