Arsenal-bound Riccardo Calafiori turned down two European giants to secure Gunners move: Reports

Riccardo Calafiori reportedly rejected approaches from Real Madrid and Juventus as he only wanted to join Arsenal. The highly-rated Italian defender is set to join the Gunners from Serie A side Bologna.

Sky Sports reports that Calafiori is set to join the north Londoners in a deal worth around €50 million (£42 million). The transfer is close but not yet over the line. He has been eager to move to the Emirates and has snubbed several European powerhouses to ensure he joins Mikel Arteta's side.

Reigning European champions Madrid and Serie A giants Juve have been turned down by Italy's Euro 2024 breakout star. They and one unnamed Premier League club tried signing the versatile center-back, but he gave his word to Arsenal.

Riccardo Calafiori, 22, was arguably Gli Azzurri's best performer at the European Championships. He appeared three times for Luciano Spalletti's side and provided a superb and vital assist in a 1-1 draw with Croatia.

The 6ft2in defender can play at center-back, left-back, right-back, and on the left wing. He is predominantly a left-back and could come straight into Arteta's starting XI next season with doubts over Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior.

Riccardo Calafiori made 37 appearances across competitions last season, registering two goals and five assists. He was a key member of Thiago Motta's Bologna side, which finished fifth in Serie A and qualified for the UEFA Champions League.

---

Riccardo Calafiori's ex-girlfriend denies leaking his move to Arsenal

Arsenal fans didn't need transfer expert Fabrizio Romano to give his trademark 'here we go' regarding Riccardo Calafiori's move. The Italian's ex-girlfriend appeared to turn transfer insider with a social media post.

Benedetta Boeme recently split with Calafiori and seemed to be alerted to a viral clip of the left-back on TikTok. He's seen with another woman, and his ex-girlfriend thanked fans for highlighting this. A screenshot of her apparently confirming the couple's breakup went viral:

"Riccardo and I are no longer together at the moment...Thanks to everyone who showed me the video circulating on TikTok this week. I appreciate it; it was important for me to know the truth... I wish him all the best as he joins Arsenal. He has all my support."

However, Boeme has since dismissed the post as her own and labeled it 'fake.' She threatened to take legal action in a statement written on her real Instagram account's story:

“This is my only social media account. I have never talked about anything and I never will... I kindly ask whoever opened the TikTok profile pretending to be me and writing personal and delicate things, which then get reported as articles in the media, to immediately close the profile, otherwise I will take legal action."

Calafiori's move to Arsenal is in the offing, but Romano may still be the one to give confirmation. The five-cap Italy international could arrive at the Emirates in days to become the Gunners' first summer signing.