'Bulldozer' Calafiori ready to tear up the top flight if Arteta can secure his man

IN THEIR quest to catch Manchester City, Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to be more unpredictable next season.

- Simon Collings

And what better way to do that than by signing a player who grew up with the nickname ‘Bulldozer’.

Tall, strong and quick, it is easy to see both why Riccardo Calafiori’s father gave him that tag and why Arsenal are targeting a move for the Italian, who was one of last season’s standout players in Serie A and carried his Bologna form into Euro 2024.

Arsenal want a left-footed defender, and Calafiori, who is valued at around £42million, has the ability to play at centre-back and full-back.

The 22-year-old flourished last season as a centre-back, but he came through the Roma youth ranks as a left-back, which was a problem position for Arsenal last season. Jakub Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu all had runs in the team and periods of success, but the left flank was unsettled and in stark contrast to the consistency of Ben White on the other side.