Riccardo Calafiori: Position, transfer fee, style of play, stats & more

Arsenal completed the statement signing of Italy central defender Riccardo Calafiori from Serie A side Bologna.

The 22-year-old excelled in I Rossoblu's run to fifth in last season's Italian top-flight, helping them qualify for the 2024/25 Champions League.

Mikel Arteta has been looking to boost his defensive stocks and Calafiori fits his preferred criteria of a player who can excel in multiple positions, allowing the Gunners boss to change his tactics during games.

Juventus, who recently appointed Calafiori's boss at Bologna, Thiago Motta, were also said to be tracking the defender, but with a medical reportedly booked, Arsenal are in the driving seat for his signature. 

He is Arsenal's third new arrival of the summer after David Raya's loan from Brentford was made permanent and fellow goalkeeper Tommy Setford's signing from Ajax.

Arteta is said to be confident that the deal will be the first of many as his side targets the Premier League title in the upcoming campaign.

Here is everything you need to know about Arsenal's new signing Riccardo Calafiori.

Riccardo Calafiori age, nationality & background

Calafiori is 22 years old and was born on 10th May 2002.

He was born in Rome, emerging through the Roma academy and representing Italy at various youth levels.

Riccardo Calafiori transfer fee and contract

Transfer fee

The Gunners payed £40m for Calafiori after making a breakthrough with his former club Basel's reported 50 per cent sell-on clause.

Contract and salary

Calafiori signed a five-year contract at the Emirates, with sources suggesting he will earn around £4m a year.

What to expect from Riccardo Calafiori

Height and build

The Italian stands at 6ft 2ins and while slender, he is deceptively strong and like all Azzurri defenders, knows how to position his body to help avoid being caught in possession.

Preferred foot

Very much en vogue, Calafiori is primarily a left-footed central defender. 

Style of play

Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Juventus and Italy legend Leonardo Bonucci admitted he was "sorry" to see Calafiori snub the Bianconeri and sign for Arsenal, describing him as "a defender who's a little different", "has personality" and who could be "a point of reference for the national team for the next 15 years".

High praise from arguably the best ball-playing central defender of his generation and Bonucci will likely have admired the 22-year-old's attacking forays during the recent Euros.

In fact, having predominantly played as a left-back or left-wing-back while at Roma and Basel, it was Calafiori's ability to move forward with the ball and spark attacks that persuaded Motta to select him as a central defender.

This versatility will have attracted Arteta, with the Italian comfortable playing in either a back three or a back four.

His languid running and clever distribution - he assisted Mattia Zaccagni's stoppage-time equaliser against Croatia at the Euros - are counterbalanced by his aerial prowess and reading of the game, which allow him to snuff out opposition attacks.

Stats

Riccardo Calafiori Stats 2023/24

Metric	Total (per 90)	Top 5 Leagues rank
Assists	0.19	Top 1%
Key passes	0.65	Top 3%
Shot-creating actions	1.76	Top 3%
Successful take-ons	0.50	Top 8%
Interceptions	1.92	Top 4%
Ball Recoveries	7.43	Top 2%
% of Aerials Won	71.4	Top 5%

(Source: FBref.com based on comparison to positional peers across Europe's Top 5 Leagues).

Similar players to Riccardo Calafiori

• Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta)
• Mohamed Simakan (RB Leipzig)
• Benjamin Pavard (Inter Milan)

(Source: FBref.com based on similar statistical profiles across Top 5 Leagues in past year)

Career so far

Previous clubs

Calafiori came through the ranks of hometown club Roma and after recovering from a career-threatening knee injury suffered in 2018, made his debut in 2020 and went on to appear 18 times for I Giallorossi.

A loan to Genoa in January 2022 led to a move to Basel, spending just over a season at St. Jakob Park before joining Bologna on 31st August 2023.

Calafiori made 33 appearances for the Emilia-Romagna outfit, scoring twice in his breakthrough campaign in 2023/24.

International caps

After representing Italy through the age groups, Calafiori made his senior international debut on 4th June 2024, playing the final minutes of a 0-0 friendly draw against Turkey.

He then played all 90 minutes in the 1-0 warm up win over Bosnia and Herzegovina and started all three of the Azzurri's Group B games at the Euros.

However, bookings against Albania and Croatia meant he missed the 2-0 round of 16 defeat to Switzerland. 

What he could bring to Arsenal

Calafiori's arrival could see Jakub Kiwior depart the club. The Polish defender joined from Spezia in January 2023 but, despite being a regular, has been heavily linked with a return to Serie A.

Juventus and Milan are believed to be interested in Kiwior, with Calafiori perhaps lined up by Arsenal to play a similarly inverted full-back role as the right-sided Ben White, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes stationed as central defenders.

Kiwior's ability to pass through the lines clearly attracted Arteta, but in addition to having fine distribution, Calafiori is happy carrying the ball forward, making him a potential upgrade on the Poland international.

He is also more defensively-minded than Oleksandr Zinchenko, the first player Arteta tried to use in a hybrid role, positioned as a left-back-cum-central-midfielder.

Calafiori's similarities to White mean that Arsenal will be able to shift their attacking focus depending on the opposition, while his versatility means he will be ready to step in and play centrally when required.