Arsenal made their first direct football contact with Bologna on Thursday to discuss the possibility of signing Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori.
According to Italian Football journalists Matteo Moretto and Fabrizio Romano, talks between the Gunners and Bologna are underway after the latter enjoyed a fine season under Thiago Motta in 2023-24.UFABET
Moretto reports that Arsenal have reached a personal agreement with the player, while Romano says there will be no problem with personal terms and it is now up to both clubs to negotiate.
Several Italian media outlets have reported that Bologna are asking around €50 million for Calafiori.
Arsenal are reportedly keen to beat competition from Chelsea, while other European clubs including Paris Saint-Germain and Leverkusen have also shown interest in the player.
Calafiori is a product of Roma’s academy, having moved from Basel to Bologna for just €4m in the summer of 2023, with the Swiss club set to receive a 40% cut of any future sale.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano brought an update on Sunday with Calafiori “still waiting” on the two clubs to agree a fee for the Bologna defender, who impressed for Italy at Euro 2024.
Romano said in his Caught Offside column: “The Bologna defender is still waiting for Arsenal as the clubs try to reach an agreement on the transfer fee.