To some, Arsenal’s decision to buy Italian international defender Riccardo Calafiori for £42 million came as a surprise.

Last summer, the player returned to Italy after initially joining Basel in Switzerland to advance his career.

Riccardo Calafiori in training after his £42m move to ArsenalCredit: Getty

Calafiori had a breakout season in Bologna.

Some argue that Arsenal’s decision to sign Calafiori was mostly motivated by his performance in the last Euros.

Calafiori was once considered a future captain of his boyhood club Roma, despite a near-career-ending injury. Both groups overlook this information.

Last season, Calafiori established himself as one of the greatest young defensive talents in the game, helping Bologna qualify for the Champions League.

Arsenal’s detail-oriented coach, Michael Arteta, saw Calafiori’s summer exploits with Italy as a necessary defensive boost to their roster.

Calafiori is one of the most flexible defenders in the game right now, both in terms of position and roles that he can play.

Arteta already has good defensive options in Ben White and Jurrien Timber, who missed the first season due to injury. With the signing of Calafiori, they now have another solid option.

Indeed, it is highly likely that Arsenal will initially utilize Calafiori as a left-back.

To further appreciate Arsenal’s motives for finalizing the transfer, let’s look at Calafiori’s primary game skills.

Carrying the ball

Calafiori was interviewed at the end of last season in Serie A and asked who defenders he modeled his playing on.

There’s a good chance the interviewer expected Calafiori to respond with one of the game’s greatest Italian defenders.

Consider Giorgio Chiellini or Paolo Maldini. Instead, Calafiori mentioned English international John Stones.

Calafiori is comfortable moving into the midfield

The Italian star is as comfortable at left back, as against Roma, and at center back.

Calafiori went on to say that he praised Stones’ ability to step into midfield and recognized that this was due to coaching instruction.

Calafiori’s late run against Croatia in the Euros resulted in a late equalizer.

Calafiori, like Arteta, must be comfortable sliding into the midfield from either centre back or left back.

Calafiori is Bologna’s final defender, yet he is confident enough to drive in possession and outplay the first striker before moving into an advanced position.

Calafiori previously played as a left-back or as a left-sided central defender in a three-man defence.

Calafiori’s coach at Bologna, Thiago Motta, convinced him of his ability to play in a back-four system.

Next season, Arsenal plans to deploy the Italian as a left-back initially, but he may shift to a more central midfield position when in control.

In these scenarios, the Italian defender may receive, play, and shatter lines with his passing abilities.

For Arteta, however, it is more vital that when he moves into midfield, Calafiori is exceptionally strong during defensive transitions when the opposition attempts to counterattack rapidly.

7Playing as left-back Calafiori is a position where a lot of natural defenders would look for a quick forward pass. Instead, the Italian drives inside and then forward to attack space

As a line breaking runner from the defensive line Calafiori will bring a lot to this Arsenal side.

Passing ability

Calafiori is a versatile player who excels at driving out and breaking lines with carries and dribbles, as well as passing and moving the ball through the lines.

Arteta often uses Ben White in this position, while Calafiori is a more aggressive passer.

Last season, Arsenal’s style from the first to the middle third was almost too functional, with little real innovation.

Calafiori will provide a more constant sense of ball movement from the first line than Arteta did last season with his alternatives in the back four.

Calafiori has the quality in possession to play a longer driven pass that cracks the lines of the opponent defense and releases a teammate attacking in space.

Calafiori does not just pass the ball to the next available player when in possession.

He has more range in his game than that, as he can play longer switches of play or driven passes that split the last line and release players in behind.

It should be noted, however, that this type of passing profile will result in a lower pass completion % because more of his passes are risky.

This is part of the risk/reward equation that coaches must evaluate when deploying a more aggressive and progressive quarterback on their defensive unit.

Calafiori moves forward with the ball at his feet, but instead of dribbling and attracting pressure to the ball, he plays a longer pass to release a midfielder, making a movement to attack and occupy space.

His passing abilities were remarkable at the Euros.

He didn’t miss a single pass against Juventus last season

Having a player with the passing profile of Calafiori in the defensive unit will give Arteta and his coaching staff more options in terms of the way that they build the attack.

Defending 1v1

Despite his modern status as a defender, Calafiori is a defender first and foremost, and an Italian defender at that.

He possesses the physical profile, listed at 6’2″, to defend against Premier League attackers, but it is his placement and game reading when defending that truly shines out.

He is equally at ease whether asked to defend in space as a reactive defender or when asked to defend close to the opposing offensive players as a proactive defensive player.

This is why, while he is expected to start at left-back, he already has the ability and skill set to play central defense for Arteta.

His skill set is ideal for partnering with William Saliba in the RCB role.

Calafiori reads the threat as the ball is played into the front side of the penalty area and wins the duel by comfortably clearing the ball.

Calafiori is a speedy and aggressive defender who engages in direct defensive duels with opposing strikers.

His starting positioning is usually excellent, giving him an edge when attacking the zones into which passes or crosses are played.

In this aspect, the Italian fits the way Arsenal’s Saliba and Gabriel now defend, with Arteta preferring defensive players who can defend both tight and in space.

Napoli attempts to unleash Victor Osimhan, but as soon as the pass is played, Calafiori moves to intercept and outmuscle the Nigerian striker.

Calafiori was dominant for Italy versus Albania during the Euros.

There is little doubt that the arrival of Calafiori will improve Arteta’s defensive options at left-back from last season.

He may also be one of the team’s strongest defensive options at center back.

Conclusion

While some may think that Arsenal have signed Calafiori purely on the basis of his performances at the Euros the truth is that he has been a defender of interest to the wider game for a lot longer than that.