Arsenal are still set to sign Riccardo Calafiori this summer despite the delay in doing a deal with Bologna for the Italy international.
Calafiori, 22, is holidaying in the Maldives after impressing for his national team at the European Championship as negotiations continue. After carrying the form from a strong first season back in Serie A onto the tournament, interest in the defender surged this summer.
But the Gunners are believed to be the player preference. The two clubs are reportedly not far apart in their discussions and a conclusion is now expected to come sooner rather than later.
READ MORE: Arsenal get huge transfer incentive to sanction triple Mikel Arteta move as £20m deal announced
READ MORE: Arsenal receive bargain transfer green light in double update as £50m deal agreed
Sky Sports spoke to Sky Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio about the player in Berlin this weekend. “If they get Calafiori they will get a perfect Premier League defender; he’s the perfect defender for [Mikel] Arteta, for [Pep] Guardiola,” Di Marzio explained.
“But he has a high price because Bologna wants €50 million (£42m), plus bonuses and plus a percentage (of any future fee), and Arsenal is a bit below the offer, but I think they will do the deal because he wants Arsenal, in his mind there is only Arsenal. Even Chelsea tried to get him, but the player said, ‘no, I want Arsenal,’ because I think Arsenal is considered from the player and for his agents, the perfect step for his career now.”
While the work continues on that deal, another move is increasingly close to completion as Fabrizio Romano reports that Nuno Tavares has signed his contract to join Lazio. Initially arriving on loan, the left-back will complete a permanent transfer in time because of the mandatory option in the deal. It is also said that Arsenal will have a sell-on clause to receive a percentage of any future fee, much like Di Marzio acknowledged Bologna are seeking in their negotiations to sell Calafiori.
Fancy free takeaway delivery, exclusive discounts, free music streaming and access to some of the best sports documentaries being made? These are just a few of the perks of Amazon Prime. Usually £8.99 a month, you can now get a 30-day free trial just in time for Amazon Prime Day, which brings the sites best deals of the year exclusively to Prime members.