Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has opened the door for a return to Serie A with Roma in the long-term future.
The Italian signed for the Gunners from Bologna for £42 million in the summer of 2024. He has evolved into a key player under manager Mikel Arteta.
Calafiori has had multiple short-term injuries during his time with the Gunners, but he has been the regular choice at left-back when fully fit and firing.
In an interview with La Repubblica, the 24-year-old said he has no plans to leave Arsenal in the near future and winning the Premier League was one of his childhood dreams.
He said: “Not now (moving away from Arsenal). One of the reasons I came to play in England is that few Italians have made a career here. Winning the Premier League was one of my childhood dreams.”
However, he added that he has ‘unfinished business’ in Italy.
When asked whether he was referring to Roma, who have qualified for the Champions League after a seven-year gap, Calafiori acknowledged that he would like to return to his favourite club.
Calafiori added: “But the way it feels in Italy is unlike anywhere else. And I have unfinished business there. Of course. I was young [on whether he was referring to Roma], I played very few games. I would like to return to my favourite team.”
The former Bologna man started the 2025/26 season as the undisputed left-back. An untimely injury before the turn of the year paved the way for Piero Hincapie to become the regular in the role.
Calafiori has been reinstated in the position in the last few weeks, and it is unsurprising, given his ability to invert into midfield and make regular overlapping runs, which is not natural to Hincapie.
The Italian is widely expected to start the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest tomorrow and faces the challenge of nullifying the attacking threat of Desire Doue early on.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who generally starts on the left wing, has also interchanged positions with the Frenchman. Keeping the wide attacking duo quiet would boost Arsenal’s chances of winning.
It is still unclear who will start at right-back for the Gunners. Jurrien Timber has returned to full training with his teammates, but the Dutchman has not played a competitive game since mid-March.
Ben White has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury. Cristhian Mosquera has fared well as the cover and looks likely to get the nod as the starting right-back, even if Timber is deemed fit.
The other wildcard option could be Martin Zubimendi after playing 90 minutes at right-back against Crystal Palace. He previously man-marked Kvaratskhelia in a World Cup qualifier for Spain versus Georgia.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com