“He said: ‘come, come, come!’” - Riccardo Calafiori names Arsenal star who ‘forced’ him to join Gunners this summer
Riccardo Calafiori has revealed that Jorginho 'forced' him to join Arsenal. He stated that the Italian midfielder spoke highly of the club and urged him to make the move.
Speaking to the club's official website, Calafiori claimed that he was convinced about joining Arsenal but the final push came from Jorginho. He added that the midfielder made the case during EURO 2024 and said:
"I just met [Jorginho] one month ago, but I can see that he's a really good guy. I was already convinced but he forced me. He said: 'come, come, come! You will enjoy being here, the team is amazing and the staff, everything is good.' You can see that already from the first few minutes here."
Calafiori added that his dream was to play for the Gunners.
"It's actually been my dream since I was 12 or 13 years old, 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 and not only for me, but for everybody," he said.
The Gunners paid £42 million to sign the Italian from Bologna and he was officially unveiled on Monday, July 29. The 22-year-old has been handed the #33 shirt and has joined up with the squad on the pre-season tour in the US.
Why did Arsenal sign Riccardo Calafiori?
Arsenal sporting director Edu spoke to the club's official website about their decision to splash the cash on Riccardo Calafiori. He revealed that the Italian is young and fits perfectly into the system under Mikel Arteta.
"We identified Riccardo as part of our strategy to sign players who fit our profile and will reinforce our squad to compete at the highest level," Edu said. "He is 22 but brings quality and experience. He will quickly grow into being an Arsenal player."
He added:
"Riccardo has consistently shown his quality for his club and country. He was one of the best players in Serie A last season, and gave strong performances for Italy in the Euros this summer. Mikel and our coaches are excited to start working with Riccardo, and we all look forward to seeing him in our shirt."
The Gunners started their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth and then went on to beat Manchester United. They take on Liverpool (July 31) and Bayer Leverkusen (August 7) next before playing Lyon in the Emirates Cup (August 11).