Arsenal: One transfer target from each Serie A club

ROME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 20: Lorenzo Pellegrini of AS Roma look on before the UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg match between AS Roma and KAA Gent at Stadio Olimpico on February 20, 2020 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images)
ROME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 20: Lorenzo Pellegrini of AS Roma look on before the UEFA Europa League round of 32 first leg match between AS Roma and KAA Gent at Stadio Olimpico on February 20, 2020 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
(Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

Bologna

Bologna isn’t exactly impressing many people this year, with mid-table obscurity looking like the end goal in Serie A. But as with any club in any top flight, there are going to be players to pluck from the mediocrity, and for Bologna, that player is Mattia Bani.

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Bani has been the anchor of the Bologna defense with his tremendous ball-playing and aerial capabilities. He fits the Mikel Arteta mold of being capable of carrying the ball confidently while not losing out on defensive responsibilities.

He’s a proactive defender, rather than reactive, and his aerial domination has notched him four goals this far into the season. Always an impressive tally from a centerback, who gets maybe a few chances per match, if that.

While he does have some disciplinary issues, that stems from being an aggressive, no-nonsense kind of guy, and I am a firm believer that we can never have too many of those. And even if it does get him in trouble, it’s not like we don’t have plenty of other centerbacks to cover.