Chelsea eye Arsenal star - Source: Getty
Chelsea eye Arsenal star - Source: Getty
Chelsea are reportedly eyeing an ambitious move to sign Riccardo Calafiori from Arsenal. The Italian wants to play in his natural position and is said to be unhappy with Mikel Arteta's plans for him.
According to a report on Football365, Calafiori wants to play as a center-back and is unhappy that his chances at Arsenal have been limited. The Italian has been used as a left-back at the Emirates and prefers to return to his natural position.
Chelsea are looking to take advantage of the situation and lure him to Stamford Bridge. They currently use Trevoh Chalobah as the left center-back, with Levi Colwill recovering from an ACL injury.
Benoit Badiashile is another option in the squad for Liam Rosenior, but the manager has not trusted the Frenchman enough since taking over in January. The Blues are looking to replace the former AS Monaco star, and see the Italian as the ideal fit.
The report adds that a transfer across London is not seen as impossible, as the defender has hinted that he is open to leaving. He was speaking to Corriere dello Sport when he claimed that a return to AS Roma was in his plans and said:
"I'd like to return to Roma sooner or later. We can't plan it, of course, but yes, I want to return."
Calafiori is just 23 years old and falls into the age group that Chelsea plan to sign their players for the foreseeable future.
Chelsea star backed to make Arsenal switch by former teammate
Joao Pedro’s former Watford teammate Keinan Davis has boldly backed the Brazilian to do well at Arsenal if he makes the switch from Chelsea. He believes that the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has all the talent and qualities needed to succeed under Mikel Arteta and said on talkSPORT:
"He’s a good guy as well. He’s not disrespectful or anything like that; he’s just a top person. So yeah, you could definitely see that you can move on to make big steps. To see him at Chelsea now is like… even if he went to Arsenal or something like that, I wouldn’t be surprised. He’s very good."
Joao Pedro has played 43 matches for the Blues since joining last summer, scoring 21 goals and assisting nine times. Arsenal were also linked with the Brazilian, but did not make a formal bid for the Brazilian in the 2025 summer window.