Arsenal gain ascendancy in the pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur target Riccardo Calafiori

Renowned Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has offered an update on Riccardo Calafiori that will not please Tottenham Hotspur fans. The journalist has revealed that Arsenal have taken the first steps towards signing him and that Chelsea are the only other club in talks for the player, implying that Spurs are not in the race.

Tottenham were said to be interested in the talented Italian centre-back but never seemed to have opened negotiations with the Serie A club. However, it looks like North London rivals Arsenal and West London rivals Chelsea seem to have acted quickly.

Calafiori is coming off a very impressive season playing under Thiago Motta at Bologna in the Serie A. However, the manager has now joined Juventus. Despite his desire to take Calafiori with him to Turin, relationships between the two clubs are strained, making the negotiations hostile.

The Serie A club however seem more open to selling abroad and this is where the Premier League comes in. Moving to the English top flight will Calafiori numerous opportunities to showcase his talent in arguably the biggest league in the world.

More than his performances in the Serie A, it’s his performances for a struggling Italy side in the European Championship that have caught the eye of most clubs around the world. To put it simply, Calafiori was unbelievable.

Realistically, Tottenham were never in the race to sign the 22-year-old. Having failed to qualify for the Champions League this season, it was highly unlikely that they could have convinced the Italian to come to the N17.

However, Spurs have no dearth of options at centre-back. In Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, they have arguably one of the best partnerships in the Premier League and with Radu Dragusin to step in if needed, they are sorted.

The same can be said of Arsenal though. Their centre-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel is almost irreplaceable and they also have Jurrien Timber waiting in the wings for an opportunity to shine.

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Yes, Tottenham are unlikely to land Calafiori but it is unlikely to hurt us much. Thus, we can move on from this setback and focus on other positions where we need reinforcements.