"Is this real?" - Riccardo Calafiori awestruck as he joins Mikel Arteta and Arsenal for pre-season

Riccardo Calafiori was wowed when meeting Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and his new teammates for pre-season. The Italian left-back has sealed a move to the Emirates from Bologna in a deal worth up to a reported £42 million.

Calafiori headed to the United States and linked up with the Gunners squad after his transfer was confirmed. He met Arteta and couldn't hide his excitement in a video released on the club's official X/Twitter account.

The 22-year-old asked his new manager:

"Is this real?"

Arteta confirmed it was real after unveiling Calafiori to the squad during their pre-season. He gave the five-cap Italy international the floor during a team meeting:

"Of course I'm really happy to be here. I waited a lot. I hope we are going to do something really great this year."

The Italian has signed a five-year contract with the Gunners. He arrives following a stellar Euro 2024 campaign. He was Italy's standout performer in Germany, appearing three times and producing an incredible assist in a 1-1 draw against Croatia.

The Roma-born full-back may expect to be handed the left-back berth at Arsenal. He's also extremely versatile, as he can play center-back as well. He posted two goals and five assists in 37 games across competitions last season.

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"Really impressive" - Mikel Arteta hailed Arsenal's Calafiori capture

Mikel Arteta was thrilled to sign the Italy international.

Arteta had glowing words for Calafiori when discussing the signing of the Italian. He lauded his defensive abilities while also delving into his personality traits (via Arsenal's official website):

"He is a great signing and gives us huge strength to reinforce our defence. Riccardo is a big personality and character, with specific skills which will make us stronger as we push to win major trophies. He has already shown great development in recent seasons with his performances for both Bologna and Italy, with his progression and development in the past year being really impressive."

The Gunners missed out on the Premier League title to Manchester City for the second consecutive season last time out. They finished second, two points behind the Cityzens.

Arteta's team impressed throughout the campaign but came up short at the final hurdle. The Spanish coach appears eager to bolster his left-back position with the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior, who are perhaps fretting over their futures.

Calafiori has joined Arsenal's squad for pre-season in the United States, and he will wear the No.33 jersey in the Emirates. He could make his non-competitive debut in his new side's clash against Liverpool at Philadelphia Eagles' Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday (August 1).