A signing Arsenal are going to make will push a disgruntled Gunner player closer to the exit door, and a report now claims that London rivals Chelsea are ready to snap him up and immediately change his position.
We are approaching the decisive phase of the season, and Arsenal are still in the fight to win a historic quadruple. The huge sums spent on strengthening Mikel Arteta’s squad in recent years are now paying off. But perhaps the only downside to putting together such a deep squad is that high-class players who would have been starters elsewhere could be marginalised.
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One such player is Riccardo Calafiori, who since returning from a muscle injury at the end of January, has had to play second fiddle to Piero Hincapie.
Arsenal’s strongest back four right now consists of Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Hincapie. Unless something unforeseen happens, it will be the same quartet next year as well.
Hincapie is only at the club on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, but it has been confirmed from a number of sources that the Ecuadorian’s transfer will be made permanent for around £40 million at the end of the season.
According to the latest news from journalist Si Phillips, Calafiori has become unhappy about losing the fight against Hincapie lately.
The reporter – who specialises in covering Chelsea – also revealed that Liam Rosenior’s Blues are ready to strike and bring Calafiori to Stamford Bridge if there is even a hint of an opening.
Phillips claimed that the surprise transfer “is not as impossible as one might think”, and pointed to Calafiori himself as the primary reason for it.
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It is claimed that the Italy international not only wants to play regularly, but also wants to play in his natural position as a centre-back.
When Calafiori is given the green light to start by Arteta, he is usually used as a left-back. Calafiori can obviously play that position at a high level, but sees himself as a centre-back for the long term.
Replacing Gabriel at left centre-back is a near-impossible task right now, and Chelsea’s desire to bring in a high-class centre-back in the summer will increase the chances of the Blues testing Arsenal’s resolve with a tempting bid.
How much Arsenal would demand if they reluctantly gave the green light for a sale was not indicated in the article.
But given that Calafiori is only 23 years old, has a contract until 2029, is now established in the Premier League, and that Arsenal would sell to a direct rival, you can be sure that they will ask for much more than the £42 million (including add-ons) they paid to Bologna.
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