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Riccardo Calafiori potential shirt numbers at Arsenal
- Riccardo Calafiori is closing in on a move to Arsenal
- Italian has several shirt numbers available to him
- Defender previously wore #33 at Bologna
It's been a quiet start to a pivotal summer transfer window for Arsenal, but things are set to be taken up a notch with the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori.
Calafiori is set to become the first outfielder to join the Gunners this summer after a full agreement was reached with Bologna in the region of €45m for the defender's services.
The Italian enjoyed a breakout season with the Rossublu last season as Thiago Motta's side secured a fifth-place finish in Serie A which was enough for a long-awaited return to the Champions League.
However, it won't be Bologna benefitting from Calafiori's unique talent moving forward. Arsenal have swooped and it's in north London where the chiselled Paolo Maldini regen will be swaggering around for the foreseeable.
With his signing not official just yet, we can speculate about the shirt number he could don for the Gunners.
Riccardo Calafiori shirt number history
Calafiori has not been one for conventional numbers at club level. While he previously wore #2 and #3 for Roma's youth teams, the lowest number he's worn for a senior team is #13, which he donned following his breakthrough at Roma.
The 22-year-old first wore academy number #61 in the Italian capital before wearing #16 during his loan spell at Genoa. Basel handed him the #33 shirt after Roma cut ties, and he stuck with that number during his sole season at Bologna.
Things have been a little different on the international stage, although there's less scope for unique numbers to be worn. Calafiori wore #5 at Euro 2024 for the Azzurri having previously donned #13, #24, #3, and #15 for Italy's youth teams.
What shirt number could Riccardo Calafiori wear at Arsenal?
There's been no shirt number confirmation for the 2024/25 season, but the #33 shirt should be available for Calafiori following the exit of goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.
Nuno Tavares' #20 and Sambi Lokonga's #23 are available after the pair earned loan moves away overseas this summer. Calafiori's options are slim in the single digits, although #3 could become available if Kieran Tierney departs. Jakub Kiwior, who currently wears #15, may also be on the chopping block following the Italian's arrival.
#13, #16, #25, #26, and #28 are other possibilities for Calafiori, but it's likely that the 22-year-old will stick with the shirt that has brought him plenty of joy over the past two years.
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