'Agreed' - Arsenal take big step towards completing £37.8m transfer despite sticking point

Arsenal are already said to have agreed a contract with Bologna and Italy star Riccardo Calafiori with negotiations still ongoing between the two clubs. The Gunners are on a mission to improve this summer after falling just short of the Premier League title again last season.

After a summer of big spending last year, Mikel Arteta and Edu know they must balance the books by offloading a number of fringe players this summer, That work is ongoing, but as is the work to bring new players in.

One player who looks likely to arrive is Calafiori, who was one of the few Italy players who impressed at Euro 2024. The left-footed defender also impressed with Bologna last season, and still only 22 years of age, the Italian fits the bill.

Arsenal already have two starting defenders between Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba - although there have been transfer links surrounding the former - while Jurrien Timber is another strong option. Calafiori will be brought in to compete with all three players, while it’s thought he will also be an option on the left side of a back three or as an out-and-out left back. Arteta has already shown a willingness to play centre-backs as full-backs with the likes of Ben White and Timber.

The latest reports from Corriere di Bologna has claimed Arsenal have already struck an agreement with Calafiori for a five-year contract worth £3.36million per year, which is roughly £64,600 per week. The problem is that a fee still hasn’t been agreed between Arsenal and Bologna, with talks still continuing. It’s claimed Bologna want £37.8million plus around £4.2million in bonuses to strike a deal.

It’s unclear how much Arsenal are willing to pay, but they may want to load up the bonuses and reduce the fee to make sure they are not adding more stress to their PSR issues this summer. Bologna, however, will naturally want more money up front for their star centre-back.