New Arsenal signing Riccardo Calafiori set to wear shirt number previously donned by Petr Cech and Nicklas Bendtner
Arsenal have completed their latest signing, defender Riccardo Calafiori from Italian club Bologna and the 22-year-old will take the number 33 jersey in the upcoming season for the Gunners. In a photo session at the club's training facility in Philadelphia, Calafiori was seen taking photos with the Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and his new jersey with the number 33 written on it.
Calafiori is a versatile defender and was instrumental in Bologna's success in Serie A last season. The defender helped the club finish fifth and qualify for next season's Champions League after 60 years.
Riccardo Calafiori's new jersey number has historically been very significant for Arsenal. Goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo was the last owner of the number which had previously been worn by club veterans like Matthew Ryan, Nicklas Bendtner, and Petr Cech. In fact, the Italian defender has always worn the number 33 since his early days as a senior-level footballer at FC Basel.
Calafiori could make his debut for Arsenal on August 1 when the Gunners face Arne Slot's Liverpool at Lincoln Financial Park.
Riccardo Calafiori has joined Arsenal from Bologna on a five-year deal this summer
Mikel Arteta's fourth signing this summer came in the form of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori after David Raya, Tommy Setford, and Lucas Nygaard.
According to reports, the Gunners will pay an initial fee of £33.7 million, which could reach approximately £42 million through add-ons. He has signed a five-year deal with the Premier League side.
Initial reports suggested that Juventus were also interested in signing the Italian youngster, but he was determined to join the North London outfit and team up with Mikel Arteta to play in the Premier League.
Calafiori is one of the most versatile defenders in the Italian line-up at present. The 22-year-old can function both as a left-back and a center-back and was one of the more important players for his national team at Euro 2024. He provided a crucial assist and had an impressive 4.3 ball recoveries per game in the entire tournament.
The Italian defender will join a Gunners defensive lineup consisting of Ben White, Gabriel, William Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jurrien Timber, and Oleksandr Zinchenko. Arteta will be hoping to one-up Arsenal's performance from last season and finally win the coveted Premier League.