Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has heaped praise on new teammate Riccardo Calafiori following his arrival from Bologna.
The Gunners have been reasonably quiet in the summer transfer window so far, though further incomings are expected during the next few weeks.
The Emirates Stadium outfit have made two signings so far, kickstarting the window by confirming the arrival of Raya from Brentford on a permanent basis, having acquired the services of the Spaniard on a loan-to-buy deal last year.
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Arsenal then sprung into life following the conclusion of Euro 2024 to acquire the services of Calafiori from Bologna. The Italy international joined the club in a deal worth £42million, and he already appears to be making an impact behind the scenes.
Raya has talked up his new teammate in an interview with Sky Sports, labelling him ‘very, very good’ in praise which will be music to the ears of Arsenal supporters.
He said: “First of all, he’s a great guy. He’s young, only 22, and he’s hungry. In terms of football, he’s a great player who has a great future. He can play left-back, he can play left centre-back. So, the first impression has been really, really good.
“He is very, very strong. He goes for the tackles. He just goes for it. He would put his head in a washing machine, if you know what I’m saying. But the main thing is that he’s a great guy as well as a great player.”
Mikel Arteta has a tough task on his hands in finding a way to cram all of his talented defenders into one starting eleven. Ben White and Jurrien Timber were previously expected to be Arsenal’s first-choice fullbacks prior to the arrival of Calafiori, with Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior also in the frame.
It is hard to imagine centre-back pairing Gabriel and William Saliba being split up by their manager after their impressive performances last season, regardless of squad depth. Raya also sang the praises of the duo, saying: “They are so strong and the relationship they have between them is incredible.
“They both know where the other one is in every situation, so they have each other’s backs. And they’re so clever, both of them, considering they are relatively young. I know Wilo (Saliba) is a bit younger than Gabriel, but they are both relatively young and the positions they take up on the pitch to avoid stuff happening are incredible.”
