William Gallas is certain that Arsenal will soon make a wise acquisition when they sign Riccardo Calafiori.
One of the few players from Italy to come out of a poor Euro 2024 campaign with any credit was the adaptable defender.
Switzerland soundly defeated Luciano Spalletti’s team in the round of sixteen; they had only advanced out of their group after a dramatic last-gasp equalizer against Croatia.
Due to his ban, Calafiori was unable to participate in the match against the Swiss, and Italy’s defense appeared completely lost without the 22-year-old’s imposing presence.
The left-sided defender has drawn the attention of many prominent European teams, including Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen, after improving his reputation at Bologna in the previous campaign.
But it looks like Arsenal is about to sign a £40 million contract to acquire Calafiori.
It is unclear how the player fits into Mikel Arteta‘s plans, and considering that Arsenal had the greatest defensive record in the Premier League the previous season, it will be difficult for him to crack the starting lineup.
And while Gallas feels Arsenal and Calafiori represent a perfect match, he fears he may struggle initially to adapt to the demands of English football, particularly if his minutes are limited.
‘Still only 22, Riccardo Calafiori has shown a lot of quality and I think Arsenal would be a very good match for him,’ Gallas, the former Arsenal captain, told Lord Ping.
‘The only issue would be giving him time to adapt to the Premier League and give him a chance to get a run of games in the starting XI.
‘He’s still young and he still needs to improve his game, he doesn’t quite have that experience yet. At that age you need to play alongside a player like Thiago Silva but if it’s William Saliba and Gabriel, you can still learn so much from them.’
Arteta is likely to focus on strengthening his midfield and forward line once the deal for Calafiori is complete, but regardless of whether or not they make a bign-name attacking signing, Gallas is confident his old club will end next season as champions.
He added: ‘Even if Arsenal don’t get a big signing like Marcus Rashford, I think they will win the Premier League anyway.
‘I think Arsenal will be champions, but they do need a new left-back and a striker. Gabriel Jesus is not the player to score 20 goals, even if he is fit all season.
‘So that’s why I think Arsenal need a striker, they need a different profile. But after the last two seasons coming so close, they have all the ingredients to be champions.’