Arsenal legend delivers Riccardo Calafiori transfer verdict, urges 26-year-old who is too good to warm the bench to leave
Arsenal icon David Seaman has delivered his verdict on Gunners target Riccardo Calafiori. The Englishman reckons that the 22-year-old would improve the backline even though he's unlikely to displace William Saliba and Gabriel from the starting lineup. He also advised Aaron Ramsdale to leave the Emirates Stadium due to his lack of playing time.
It is no secret that Arsenal are interested in signing Riccardo Calafiori. According to Metro, the Londoners are already closing in on a deal for the Bologna centre-back who can also play as a left-back.
Speaking on Betway, David Seaman endorsed the move, which he believes would improve the squad ahead of the 2024-2025 campaign.
"That would be another improvement to the squad," he said when asked about the Gunners' pursuit of the player. William Saliba and Gabriel don’t get replaced in the starting line-up, but if Calafiori comes in it’s more competition for places, and depth in case of injury."
Seaman also had a word of advice for Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale who has been relegated to a bit-part role by Mikel Arteta following the arrival of David Raya.
"I’ve always said Aaron is too good to be a number two. He’s a fantastic player. He needs to play. Wherever that is, I don’t know," he continued. "It’s a weird situation. Ideally, you’d love him to stay because that would be great for the club."
"But he needs to move for his career. And that includes England because if he’s not playing, he’ll keep dropping down the pecking order with them," the Englishman added.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will be able to get a deal across the line for Riccardo Calafiori this summer. As for Ramsdale, the goalkeeper won't be short of options if he decides to leave the Emirates Stadium.
How Arsenal target Riccardo Calafiori fared last season
The 22-year-old had a decent outing in the recently concluded season, playing a key role for Bologna as they competed in all competitions. He made 37 appearances for the Serie A outfit across all fronts, recording two goals and five assists to his name.
That includes 30 outings in the Italian top flight where he played a total of 2,338 minutes, as well as three outings in the Italian Cup where he recorded a total of 130 minutes of playing time to his name.
It is worth noting that Arsenal isn't the only club who are interested in signing Calafiori. A number of big clubs across Europe, including Chelsea, are also said to be monitoring the defender's situation.