Soon-to-be Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has told the club to sign Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori, according to Madrid insider and journalist Ramon Alvarez.
The Arsenal star has caught the eye of the Portuguese due to his versatility, and he will now look to lure him away from the Emirates Stadium club.
Calafiori has been a key player for Gunners manager Mikel Arteta since moving to the North London club from Bologna in 2024.
The 24-year-old Italian has played 65 times for Arsenal, with four goals and five assists to his name.
🚨Mourinho le ha pedido al Real Madrid que explore la opción de fichar a Calafiori. Le gusta la polivalencia del italiano (central-lateral izquierdo).
Os doy más detalles de otras peticiones en el canal. pic.twitter.com/K2yyOyqBFq
— Ramón Álvarez de Mon (@Ramon_AlvarezMM) June 3, 2026
While he is primarily a left-back, Calafiori is also comfortable playing at centre-back, which is one of the reasons Mourinho wants him.
However, getting a deal done could be tricky given how important the Italian is to Arsenal.
The Gunners want to strengthen at the back, and Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown is a target.
Piero Hincapie also plays there and the North Londoners could actually be open to selling the injury-prone Calafiori should they sign Brown or another player in the position.
He missed out on a place in the starting XI of the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain due to an injury issue.
It could be why Arsenal are eyeing Brown, and the creativity and versatility of the 22-year-old Germany international will come in handy.
The Frankfurt star also plays at right-back and further forward on both flanks.
Arteta is ready to strengthen his squad for next term’s title defence and another shot at the Champions League.
It could mean selling some key players this summer and Madrid will be monitoring Calafiori’s situation.
Related Topics