It’s official now. I think this is a lovely signing for Arsenal.
Riccardo Calafiori | Arsenal player
- Thread starter WeePat
- Start date
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Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) discuss United's fantastic win away against Athletic Club in the semi-final of the Europa League.
They also pick out the positives of United's 4-3 loss away at Brentford, and Nik reviews a day out at Old Trafford watching Manchester United Women qualify for the Champions League.
Funny feeling of football.
The decline of Italian Football was directly proportionate to the decline in Italian footballers with long hair.
The decline of Italian Football was directly proportionate to the decline in Italian footballers with long hair.
I like him a lot as a player but what Italian defender worked in the PL?
He looks like he’s from a different decade
What a handsome man
Good signing for Arsenal. This strengthens their team further. I think they'd win the league if they can get a top striker in.
Annoying signing. Him and Saliba could be outrageously good as a pairing, for a very long time too. At this stage we’re really all just hoping for Arsenal to do an Arsenal. Has to happen at some point, surely?
This is one of the good things about this Arsenal/Arteta management period. They're not afraid to shakeup parts of the team which were already excellent and arguably didn't need changing in order to get better.
Great signing. If they manage his fitness issues, he will be a great player for them. He was fantastic at the WC
Assume this fella is highly rated regardless but never sign a bloke after a decent world tournament. He's doomed.
Were Italy even at the WC? I’ve forgotten.
They’re signing him on the same basis we signed Zirkzee (is that how you spell his name? I have a mental block on it). A very good season getting Bologna to the CL. Euro performances were a bonus. A bonus we didn’t get because the mighty Wout Weghorst was getting minutes our lad could have got.
He’s coming in to play LB, which was arsenal’s weakest position last season imo. But yeah, he will obviously be used at center back when needed
Mixed them up, EC of course
I agree that this is good. Never get comfortable and never stop looking for ways to improve the team even if you think it doesn't need to be improved upon
Stupid signing by Arsenal.
He's too Italian, too handsome to fit in there. Will certainly flop big time, return to Italy upon which he'll become Maldini reincarnate.
Wish we'd signed this guy
He's too Italian, too handsome to fit in there. Will certainly flop big time, return to Italy upon which he'll become Maldini reincarnate.
Wish we'd signed this guy
The best thing is that they do it and still win nothing.
If he can stay fit, I’m sure he’ll be a great player for them.
Can’t see him starting ahead of Gabriel. Probably left back as Arsenal play 4 CBs and a DM ahead
With this dude signed and Timber back from injury, who starts in Arsenals back 4?
I can't see Saliba staying more than 2 years if we don't win anything
Ofcourse Madrid will have to cough up an insane amount of him
They'll be a bit more rotation this season i think. Arteta basically said when asked yesterday that Saliba played every minute last season, with Gabriel not far behind him, and it would be silly to expect that from them going forward. There was a spell White was playing last season carrying an injury as well. Timber is coming back off an ACL injury too. So White, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori & Tomiyasu are all players flexible of covering the backline. Zinchenko still there as well to cover left side. I'd imagine Kiwior & Tierney will leave.
So if everyone is fit, who starts?
A very good player, really would have liked to see him at OT. And excellent young CM.
Havertz
Good question. Probably White - Saliba - Gabriel - Calafiori would be 'first choice' i'd imagine. Timber would be first choice replacement covering right back, centre back and even left back, so will still get plenty of minutes. Tomiyasu will probably get least minutes out the 6. I suppose that's the good thing about having squad players that can cover different positions in terms of making sure they get enough minutes to keep them happy. City do it very well with Walker, Dias, Akanji, Stones, Ake & Gvardiol.
Perhaps. And yet City & Arsenal had the 2 best defences in the league.
And Calafiori was a full back before his move to Bologna.
If I was an Arsenal fan I would be worried, Why are no other clubs after him? What about his injury record, his severe knee injury? Where are they going to play him, he reportedly does not play the fullback position very well, that's why he was converted to a centre back. He must be rubbish!
Or is the above only applied by some redcafe posters to Uniteds signings.
Or is the above only applied by some redcafe posters to Uniteds signings.
No idea why we aren't interested. A young CB who can also play as LB. And we've just had a business with Bologna for Zirkzee.
More so the fact that the defensive unit was strong! But yes, imagine he will mostly take up that LB slot.
I am also one of the hardened critics of Arteta and him needing to win a trophy ASAP but I think if they keep making these types of signings it will be a matter of when and not if.Arsenal have a very good group of defenders, quite flexible too. They have given their manager plenty of tactical options to choose from depending on how he wants to setup. We are miles away in that regard I'm afraid.
Did ManUtd accountants post in this thread to tell that he got more than 400% hike on his previous contract?
Arsenal under Arteta aren't signing players at insane fees and then at insane wages like United, so on the chance that they fail or are injured they aren't costing the club a ridiculous amount of money and can be easily moved.
When you signed Casemiro I said the same thing then too.
Its easier to take punts at more affordable prices versus at massive fees and then big wages where then players are harder to shift
Secondly Juve were in for him but I don't think any league beats the PL unless it's Madrid or maybe Bayern coming in for a player.
He's on 64 k which is peanuts (in football terms)
Yoro is on 115 to 145k in comparison
4 million euro net wages. Do the math now.
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I don't get why no team wants him etc
Only a handful of teams can actually afford him. Even from those team, some could afford him but don't need him now (eg Bayern).
I am impressed that Arsenal managed to compete with Juve for him. I don't think I have ever seen another Italian player opt for a PL team when one of the big ones (Juve, Inter, Milan) also want the said player.
Only a handful of teams can actually afford him. Even from those team, some could afford him but don't need him now (eg Bayern).
I am impressed that Arsenal managed to compete with Juve for him. I don't think I have ever seen another Italian player opt for a PL team when one of the big ones (Juve, Inter, Milan) also want the said player.
Aye. Isaac and they’d be away.
Has he played LB in italy?
He was mainly an LB as an academy player and also played lots of LB at Basel.