Arsenal star’s influence is clear after ‘forcing’ Riccardo Calafiori’s £42m transfer

Riccardo Calafiori has revealed that a persuasive eight-word endorsement from Jorginho, urging him to “enjoy” Arsenal, was pivotal in his decision to complete a £42million switch to the Premier League giants. The Italian defender’s transfer to Arsenal from Bologna was finally sealed this week following protracted talks.

Since his signing, the 22-year-old has wasted no time linking up with his new team-mates in the United States for pre-season training, eyeing a potential debut against Liverpool on Wednesday, just days after the Gunners defeated Manchester United 2-1 in an exciting clash.

The addition of the defender only adds to the impressive collection of centre-back options that Mikel Arteta has at his disposal, with the likes of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, and Takehiro Tomiyasu all contributing to the stellar defence that was on full show over the last two years.

In his first comments since the move, Calafiori credited his national squad mate and now fellow Gunner, Jorginho, with tipping the scales in Arsenal’s favour, using just eight decisive words, reports football.london.

Recounting the influential conversation, the former Roma star disclosed: “It’s the best project for me for the next few years. I met Jorginho one month ago, but I can see he’s a good guy. I was already convinced, but he forced me. He said: ‘Come, come, come! You will enjoy being here’.”

Calafiori described the drawn-out negotiations as “tough” but expressed his elation at realising a decade-long dream with the move. “It feels amazing,” he added. “It was tough until now but finally we’re here and I cannot wait to train with the team and play for the fans.”

The Italian sensation expressed his long-standing ambition as he said: “It’s actually been my dream since I was 12 or 13 because I can see the level of the league here and the best players in the world, for me, play here. It’s a dream. I spoke a lot with the coach and with Edu, and they convinced me – but I was already convinced by myself.”

Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, now armed with an imposing array of defensive talent, lauded the young Italian’s abilities and the boost he brings to the squad’s aspirations for glory. “We welcome Riccardo and his family to Arsenal. He is a great signing and gives us huge strength to reinforce our defence,” declared the Gunners boss.

“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.”