Arsenal have confirmed the signing of highly-rated defender Riccardo Calafiori. The 22-year-old had a fantastic season for Bologna, helping them qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over 50 years. The defender then represented Italy at the 2024 UEFA Euros, impressing everyone with his standout displays.
Riccardo Calafiori – First Words
Benvenuto, Riccardo Calafiori 🇮🇹
Meeting new teammates for the very first time ❤️ pic.twitter.com/JbUhqOBCMN
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 29, 2024
The Italian will now don the famous red and whites of Arsenal, having signed for the North London club for a reported fee of £42m. Calafiori has expressed his delight at joining the Gunners and hopes to achieve success this year.
“Of course I’m really happy to be here. I waited a lot (to join Arsenal). I hope we are going to do something great this year,” the young defender said.
Speaking to the Arsenal media team, the Italian was asked about his thoughts on the success he has enjoyed since last season. Calafiori stated, “It feels amazing but from my point of view, it’s just the start, the beginning of something bigger.”
Staying hungry for success is an essential attribute of a top player and the defender has that ambition.
Arteta eyes mental strength in Riccardo Calafiori
Mikel Arteta interestingly chose to focus on Calafiori’s personality and mental attributes. The manager stated, “We welcome Riccardo and his family to Arsenal. He is a great signing and gives us huge strength to reinforce our defence.
“Riccardo is a big personality and character, with specific skills which will make us stronger as we push to win major trophies. He has already shown great development in recent seasons with his performances for both Bologna and Italy, with his progression and development in the past year being really impressive.
“We’re looking forward to working with Riccardo, integrating him into the squad, and supporting him in the years to come.”
Arteta’s statement reflects what he wants his side to be – a team with personality and character. The mentality of a team is crucial to a team’s success, as shown perfectly by Manchester City. While they have players with great quality, manager Pep Guardiola has also ingrained them with a winner’s mentality. City have gone on long winning streaks to win the title (like last season) and have shown the ability to snatch victories from the jaws of defeat with the Premier League trophy on the line.
Arsenal need that mentality if they want to win titles. Arteta knows that his squad already has the quality to win trophies but lacks the killer instinct which City have. They showed some of it last season but eventually it wasn’t enough. With Calafiori, he has a player who has the mindset which Arteta wants in his players – determined and courageous. Additionally, from his short statement, one can already see his ambition and desire to win.
The defender will join the pre-season squad currently touring the USA. Calafiori’s arrival will bolster Arsenal’s squad and add some real quality to it as they chase their first Premier League title in over 20 years.
