Incoming Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has urged the club’s hierarchy to sign Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori this summer, according to AS.
The Portuguese tactician was confirmed as president Florentino Perez’s managerial choice, and he is currently on the cusp of a return to Los Blancos.
Madrid have already secured deals for two defenders in Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries, and Mourinho is now eager to pursue a new left-back.
The former Benfica manager believes Madrid have two attacking right-backs in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dumfries, and wants a more defensive solution on the left.
He ideally prefers someone who can provide the right balance. Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol and Arsenal’s Calafiori have been earmarked as the preferred targets.
Mourinho already knows Calafiori from their time together at Roma. The 24-year-old was a regular on the bench and made a few cameo appearances under the 63-year-old.
Arsenal could contemplate sale for huge premium fee
The Gunners signed Calafiori from Bologna for £42 million in the summer of 2024. He has made 65 appearances in his Arsenal career thus far, making nine goal contributions.
The Italian was an undisputed starter at left-back during the first half of the previous league campaign, but an injury in training in December contributed to him losing his spot.
He was sidelined for just over a month, and during that period, Piero Hincapie established himself as the first-choice left-back. Calafiori did make regular starts towards the end of the season, but Hincapie got the nod in the Champions League final and the Carabao Cup final back in March.
Hincapie is poised to join on a permanent deal from Bayer Leverkusen next month, but Calafiori remains a key player under manager Mikel Arteta. Still, the Gunners could be enticed into parting ways if they were to receive a premium fee of around £65-70m from Madrid for his services.
Arsenal have another quality deputy for Hincapie in Myles Lewis-Skelly. There is also talk that the Gunners have a genuine interest in Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown, who could be signed for £52m.
Bayern have a verbal agreement on personal terms with the German, but have yet to secure any deal with Eintracht. Mikel Arteta’s side could step up their pursuit if they consider Calafiori’s departure.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com