Riccardo Calafiori rejects Chelsea, only interested in Arsenal transfer

  • Arsenal would like to sign Riccardo Calafiori this summer
  • Chelsea have also shown an interest
  • Riccardo Calafiori would prefer to join Arsenal, though
The Arsenal and Chelsea Club Badges
The Arsenal and Chelsea Club Badges / Visionhaus/GettyImages
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It isn't uncommon for Arsenal and Chelsea to involve themselves in transfer window battles. After all, the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix and Moises Caicedo were all in dicussion with both clubs at one stage. The 2024 summer transfer window is no different, with both clubs showing a keen interest in Riccardo Calafiori.

However, this time around, the player is not messing both clubs about. Instead, he has made his priority clear: he would like to sign for Arsenal.

Riccardo Calafiori rejects Chelsea, only interested in Arsenal transfer

According to a brilliant and transparent update from Italian expert Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sports Italia, Riccardo Calafiori told Chelsea when they tried to sign him that no, he would prefer to join Arsenal. Di Marzio also revealed his prediction that Calafiori will be an Arsenal player next season, despite the ongoing negotiations between Bologna and Arsenal.

It is perfect for Arsenal fans to hear. After all, it's not much of a surprise that Arsenal have a bigger pull factor than Chelsea. Not only are Arsenal the better club, they are in a better position for growth going forward. Chelsea just sign any player without appearing to do much research into them, whereas it's a compliment for a player if Arsenal pinpoint them.

Calafiori is an aggressive defender who would be perfect for the Premier League. That said, as relayed by Di Marzio, Calafiori is also a stylish and modern player who likes to involve himself in his side's attacking buildup play. This was perfectly demonstrated at the recent EURO 2024, albeit Italy did get eliminated early.

It would appear at face value that Calafiori's strongest position is at centre back, but it is not necessarily the case. He has great experience of playing as a left-back, which is where Mikel Arteta is assumed to deploy Calafiori, should he sign.

Long story short, it's looking positive for Arsenal and not so positive for Chelsea.

Do you think Arsenal will sign Riccardo Calafiori this summer?

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