Why signing Riccardo Calafiori takes Arsenal to the NEXT LEVEL!

Have you been watching the Euros? Of course you have. If you indeed have been watching the Euros 2024 edition, you cannot tell me you're not impressed by Riccardo Califori, one of Italy's now worst kept secrets. After impressing at Bologna, helping them qualify for the Champions League under then-manager Thiago Silva, he has followed his impressive league form in Serie A onto the international stage. There are rumours that Arsenal, as well as several other clubs, are interested in signing him. He's been linked with several clubs prior to the tournament and you could imagine, obviously because of his exploits so far for Italy, his price tag is due to shoot up. And I'm a big fan of his people. I know I say this all the time, you'd imagine Bologna are the only winners because they're going to probably sell him at a premium and every great performance or standout moment probably sees a couple more millions added to his price tag. Now again, if you watch my transfer videos where we go over the latest reports every day, I've been pushing for this potential signing for Arsenal. Not because I'm an expert, it's because anyone that's been watching Bologna has to be impressed with him if I'm completely honest. And where you look at where Arsenal's concerned, we could do with another defensive body. And rumours say we're more likely to sign a left-sided defender slash left-back in which he has shown he can play in a back four as well as a back three. He's at home as a left-sided centre-half as well as at left-back and he can invert. He's very good on the ball in that regard. If he really is available for some reports prior to the tournament for 20 to 30 million, he's in his early 20s, it makes more than enough sense for Arsenal to go and get him. Obviously, between Kyrgios and Tomiasu, we have shopped in Italy and it's worked out okay. More so Tomiasu than Kyrgios, in which this potential signing would probably push Kyrgios further down the order. But that's neither here nor there. Like clockwork, Arsenal need a defender, we're linked with another one. And again, several clubs have been linked with him. He's a product of the AS Roma Youth Academy. Obviously, he's currently playing for Bologna. He had previously played in Switzerland. So he's shown that he can adapt not only to different systems required by different managers, but in different countries, which obviously, if he joins the Premier League side, that will be the case. A quick little backdrop, he began his career as a youth product of Roma. He signed his first pro deal in 2018. He did have a severe knee injury in October of 2018, right after really signing his first pro deal. And the doctors allegedly said you would never walk again. So the very fact he's playing football speaks to his resilience people. And since then, he's come back a tenfold. Since obviously bouncing back from his knee injury, he joined Girona on loan in January of 2022. Later on in that year, he moved to Basel on a permanent basis, signing a three-year deal. Obviously, he spent a bit of time there, just over a year. He then returned to Italy in Serie A, where he was signed in August of 2023 by Bologna. And since then, has continued to flourish under Thiago Motta. Thiago Motta has gone to Juventus, Joshua Zersky, another Bologna player has been linked with after they qualified for the Champions League. Now, no player can do that alone, but he played a major role in that. And again, they stand to make quite the handsome profit on this individual, because in my opinion, he's displayed himself as one of Serie A's top performers. In relation to the international stage, he made his debut for Italy's under-21 side in 2021. He then got his first senior call-up for the full national team in May of 2024, and he debuted in June of 2024. Now that obviously takes us to the Euros campaign, where at this moment in time, Italy are still in it. And ironically, Italy played Switzerland in the last 16, which obviously national pride. He's an Italian, but I'm sure that was one side he wanted to kind of avoid in Switzerland. There's many things I like about him and we'll go over such people. I think he's got a great tactical understanding as shown with the multiple roles and different demands placed on him by several different managers. I think his positioning is quite good, which again, in this day and age, a slide tackle or a great last-ditch effort is going to make the headlines, but he's very proactive. He puts a fire out before he starts it, before it started, if it makes sense, people. Positions himself correctly on the pitch, great off the ball movement, knows how to create space in all aspects of the football field, not just for him, but for several teammates. He's always available for a pass. He's quite good in terms of progressing the ball forward. You would have seen him play a key role in obviously what led to the dramatic winner for Italy against Croatia, building on a solid defensive performance in his European debut against Albania. I would describe him as an extremely robust player and again, dependable player across several and various different game phases. He's got pace, he's got work rate, he's got physicality, he covers extensive ground, people. He's a formidable opponent to rivals that tend to try and get the better of him. He's got a tall and lean build, but it goes beneath the hood really and it's kind of deceiving because he's got great agility and balance, which obviously allows him to manoeuvre in tight spaces and he's calm under pressure and he's really cool in tight spaces, which again, anyone can play football if you've got a million years on the ball. He's got great aerial prowess and that's obviously a major plus point for Mikel Arteta as we've added physicality and height in our team and his jumping reach is very good, which you would expect of a defender. Again, I don't want to overrate him, but when you look at Italy and you look at the Cannavaros, the Berezis, the Maldini's, the Liscalini, the list goes on of legendary defensive figures and again, he's just at the start of his career. He's got a long time before he could be mentioned in them realms, but I think if you ask those players and Italian fans, he is from the same school and he can, in his own way, write his own legacy at whatever club he chooses to play for and obviously within Italian football. I mean, despite being a defender, I think he's proficient when it comes to crossing and dribbling. I think he's really decent when it comes to play-making. I think he's very intelligent and he reads the game well. I think he's very strong and I think his ability to handle pressure is commendable. Going back to what I said in relation to the Croatia and Albania games, he steps up in vital moments. He fully is the modern-day defender. If you look at the season that's just gone in Serie A, he won 66% of his defensive duels, 70.5% of his aerial duels and 60% of the loose ball duels. Again, that further showcases that this individual has exceptional defensive skills and when you marry that with a tactical understanding and positioning, despite being young and at the learning stage, he has a lot to build upon. Now, he's not perfect. There's been times in Serie A where he's given away some silly fouls and a couple of penalties, but again, there's a lot more upside than there is downside. I think another key element of his game is his ability to recover the ball in dangerous zones, people. He's made 13.8 recoveries per 90 minutes. 23% of these came in the attacking half, which naturally Arsenal are going to be on the front foot and have the opponent stuffed in their own half for the majority of the game, which again reflects a point I made in that he's able to positively contribute in all aspects of the game. When you look at that, most of them also came in the form of counter-pressing recoveries. Now, high pressing and counter-pressing is a key part of Mikel Arteta's game and better yet, is a key part of the modern day at any given stage for any team, if I'm really honest with you. He's got the ability to engage and win in defensive 1v1 situations and drills. I do like his passing range, people, and he's got various different styles of passing. He completed over a thousand passes, had 76 accurate long balls, created 17 chances and got 5 assists across the last campaign, people, which shows impressive ball progression skills and again highlights him as a great prototype for Mikel Arteta's squad and what you want in the modern day defender, people. He'll take on players in his own half and he'll dribble when he can, people, using his strength, balance and speed. He's comfortable playing in the high line the ability to play the pressing game and he's only going to get better. He provides perfect depth at left-centre-back and I think he could be a proper challenger for Gabriel's spot. Again, rumours consistently link Arsenal with a left-sided centre-back and I would put him in the realm of Thimba and Tomiasu in real great strong options, giving Arteta a headache, in which I don't think Zizenko provides that with the greatest of respect and I firmly believe Kyrgios is at the bottom of the pecking order where left-back is concerned, people, with the greatest of respect. I would say he prefers to invert versus playing as a traditional full-back, which again could be helpful to Mikel Arteta. With Kyrgios, he kind of had to make him play as a traditional left-back as he struggled in this inverting role. I do think in conclusion, he's got a very resilient character, he displays maturity beyond his young years, he's multifaceted, people, and he's proficient at playing as a centre-half and a left-back, he's got height, he's got a decent left foot, he brings adaptability and always significantly contributes game in, game out and he'll own up to his mistakes, people. Resilience is one of the best things. He's come back from a difficult injury, he had to leave his homeland to establish himself and then he returned with Bologna. He's not a goalscorer but some people will remember the 3-3 draw where he played against Juventus people, in which he did well. I think he passes the eye test and also when you look at his real statistics, they underline the metrics that he's on an upward trajectory. When you look at, you know, in regards to his passing, his pass completion, attempted tackles, interceptions, aerial draws, blocks, you know, draws one, ball regains, there's so much to like about him and, you know, it further reflects that he's a young promising defender with the potential to simply put, be extremely good and potentially one day follow in many great Italian legendary defenders before him. You know, Italian fans should be proud of him. In my opinion, there's no coincidence he's linked with Arsenal, Juventus, Liverpool and many big clubs and Tottenham Hotshire if you include Spurs as a big club, I don't know. Once again, he played a key role in helping Bologna get to Champions League football for the first time since 1964-65. I'm a big fan of him and I'm sure Bologna fans do not want him to depart. He's very comfortable in a back three or a back four, which again highlights his adaptability and his intelligence. And in short, people, he's already proven his potential as one of the world's best young defenders in one of the most competitive leagues, people. He's got the blend of the physical, technical, tactical and mental attributes to become a valuable asset, not just for Bologna currently, but for his country, Italy and anyone who's lucky enough to purchase him. He's going to continue to grow and improve and he's a talent that I believe everybody's going to watch closely in many years to come. And I think his signing and what he's done to go with Thiago Motta shows the trajectory that Bologna went. For context people, Thiago Motta joined Bologna in September of 2022. Obviously, just under a year in 2023, this individual signed and in June of 2023 or May of 2023, whenever Serie A technically finishes, people, 2024 apologies, after 60 years they returned to the Champions League based off, you know, off the back of last season where they finished ninth and got a club record 54 points. Now I only mentioned that because Mikel Arteta, trust the process. So this shows you that, you know, Mr. Califori can be at a team that's on an upward collective trajectory and have to trust the process, people. He knows about such. In short, I think he's a talented player. If there is any willingness to get a deal done, I'd be all for it. I think he's a decent player. And again, people, he's someone I'll be watching closely. Let me know your thoughts. Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe. God bless you all for listening, people. We've just got over 60k subs. The journey to 70k is alive and kicking. Like, comment and subscribe. God bless you all. Peace.