Real Madrid have made Riccardo Calafiori their top left-back target for next summer, with Jose Mourinho said to see the Arsenal defender as his ‘dream’ signing. The Gunners’ answer, for now, is a simple one: he is not for sale.
According to TEAMtalk, Real Madrid have already made enquiries about the Italian’s situation, and people close to the player are aware of the interest from the Spanish capital. Mourinho reportedly views him as the outstanding left-back option in world football, and the club’s recruitment staff share that admiration.
The 24-year-old is tied to the Emirates until 2029, so Arsenal are under no pressure to even consider an offer. They do have a plan for his next contract, though, and it sits behind three other deals in the queue.
Mourinho is back at Real for a second spell this season, and he has been backed heavily. The club spent around £200m on summer signings, bringing in Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande, Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries.
Why Mourinho wants Calafiori
Versatility is the big draw. Calafiori has played mostly at left-back since arriving from Bologna in 2024, when Arsenal saw off Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain to sign him. In Italy, though, he played predominantly at centre-back, and he has shown he can do that job at the highest level too.
Mourinho is a huge admirer of that, believing the Italian could give him options in several areas of his defence. Cucurella is considered capable of playing further forward, so a left-back who can also play centrally would give Mourinho even more flexibility.
Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol is also appreciated in Madrid, but Calafiori is understood to be the first-choice option. With next summer in mind, Real are still assessing their options at left-back while preparing for the possibility of a move.
It is the second time in a matter of days that Mourinho’s Madrid have crossed paths with N5. He has already told Arsenal to forget about a January loan for Endrick, and now the traffic could be heading the other way.
Is Riccardo Calafiori for sale?
No. Arsenal would make it categorically clear that the Italian is strictly not for sale, and with his deal running to 2029 they hold the contractual cards.
His long-term future has not been forgotten either. Arsenal are planning to address Calafiori’s contract in 2027, when a new deal is on the agenda. The immediate priority is finishing extensions for Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, and those talks are understood to be moving forward. Mikel Arteta has already called Rice’s new deal ‘a matter of time’.
Only once those three are done are Arsenal expected to turn their attention to Calafiori.
How big a loss would he be?
A big one. Arsenal do have cover, with Piero Hincapie and Myles Lewis-Skelly both able to play at left-back, but Calafiori is the first-choice option there and a central part of the best defence in Europe.
He has had his knocks this season. Arteta admitted “we don’t know what it is” when Calafiori went straight down the tunnel after the win over Everton, but the bruised ribs cleared up in time for him to be available at Anfield, where Arsenal won 1-0 to go three points clear at the top.
Verdict: Calafiori’s new deal shouldn’t wait until 2027
Arsenal are right to say no, and a contract to 2029 means they can say it without blinking. But Real have already asked the question, the player’s camp know about it, and Mourinho is not a man who lets go of a target easily.
Leaving Calafiori’s talks until 2027 gives Madrid a full summer to work on him while he waits his turn behind Timber, Odegaard and Rice. If those three deals really are close, the smart move is to put the Italian straight to the front of the queue once they are signed, and shut this down before Real come back with a bid.
