As Arsenal close in on the impressive signing of Italy star Riccardo Calafiori, TT takes an in-depth look at what makes the Bologna man a special defensive talent.
Calafiori only turned 22 in May, but the Italian defender has taken a winding road to becoming one of the most sought-after centre-backs in Europe this summer.
The Bologna star is a reported transfer target for Arsenal, with the Gunners said to be closing in on a £45million deal for the Azzurri star, fending off rival interest from such heavy hitters of the continental game as Juventus, Liverpool and Chelsea.
It was only two years ago, however, that Calafiori went to Switzerland in search of an opportunity to showcase his considerable talents, signing with Basel.
Born in Italy’s capital, Calafiori joined Roma’s academy as an eight-year-old and progressed rapidly to earn a professional contract at the Gilallorossi shortly after turning 16.
But then a serious knee injury threatened to cut short the teenager’s nascent career in October 2018. In the 82nd minute of a UEFA Youth League game against Viktoria Plzen, an over-the-ball, studs-up challenge from Vaclav Svoboda crumpled Calafiori to the turf. He’d suffered ruptures to all of his knee ligaments as well as a meniscus tear.
“This time, no decisive match, no final to win,” Calafiori wrote on Instagram as he looked ahead to a lengthy, uncertain recovery period. “There is the most important battle of my life ahead of me, and I certainly cannot back down. The time has come to put aside the boy, the, at times, little boy that I have been until now, and become a MAN.”
Sidelined for almost a full year, he returned to action for Roma’s youth team early in the 2019-20 season before making his Serie A debut later in the campaign.
