Arsenal are putting the finishing touches in place after reportedly agreeing a deal to sign centre-back Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna over the weekend. And the Italian can thank Wrexham and their co-owner Ryan Reynolds if he opts to wear his favoured No. 33 shirt at the Emirates Stadium.
Calafiori enjoyed a sensational season in Italy as he helped Bologna finish fifth in Serie A and qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 59 years.
He then enhanced his reputation courtesy of a string of fine performances at Euro 2024 as his country reached the last-16 before crashing out to Switzerland.
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According to Sky Sports, Arsenal will pay a total of £42.1million in exchange for Calafiori, with his former club Basel in line to receive 50 per cent of the profit after selling him to Bologna for £3.4m last summer.
The defender has worn the No. 33 at Bologna and Basel and could well request the same number in north London. And his welcome present shirt will be available after goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, who previously had hold of the No. 22 jersey, completed a move to Wrexham.
Okonkwo came through the Arsenal academy, before enjoying loan spells with Crewe and Sturm Graz. On transfer deadline day last summer, he secured a temporary move to Wrexham and went on to feature 36 times in League Two as the Welsh side won promotion to League One.
The 22-year-old keeper then made his transfer permanent last month as he ended his association with the Gunners once and for all.
“I’m feeling very good, I’m so happy to have finally signed and I can’t wait to get back to it. It was amazing last season,” he said after the transfer.
“This is home, it’s felt like that since last season when I came in. The co-chairmen are so good, the manager, the coaches, the players, and obviously the backroom staff that you don’t see. It’s so good to be here.”
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Arsenal will be looking to get a deal for Calafiori over the line as quickly as possible to bed him in at the Emirates Stadium ahead of the new campaign.
The 22-year-old will be hoping to be handed plenty of gametime throughout the season, despite the fact William Saliba and Gabriel were one of the best centre-back pairings in England last season.
And if he does put pen-to-paper on a deal in the capital, Calafiori will have his eyes firmly focused on landing a starting place when the Gunners host Wolves in their first Premier League match in mid-August.
