Bologna ‘reject’ Arsenal swap deal for Riccardo Calafiori with Gunners offer ‘stuck’

Arsenal are struggling to make progress in their attempts to sign Riccardo Calafiori after having a swap deal turned down by Bologna, according to reports.

The Gunners’ interest in the Italy international has been confirmed by widespread reports with Mikel Arteta looking to bring in a new centre-back this summer.

Arteta wants to provide competition for Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba in case one of the duo picks up an injury or suspension next season.

And it had looked like a deal was close a week or so ago but there has now been a stalemate over the transfer fee that Arsenal will pay after the Gunners agreed personal terms with the player.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano brought an update on Sunday with Calafiori “still waiting” on the two clubs to agree a fee for the Bologna defender, who impressed for Italy at Euro 2024.

Romano said in his Caught Offside column : “The Bologna defender is still waiting for Arsenal as the clubs try to reach an agreement on the transfer fee.

“If it goes through it should be a superb signing for Arsenal as Calafiori is an excellent defender – he can play centre-back or left-back, has an excellent left foot, can provide assists and score goals as he did for Bologna last season.

“Quality is the best word to describe him. He’s a centre-back but has quality to help the squad in the build up like midfielders.”

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Reports in Italy indicate that Arsenal are still ‘certain’ that they will get a deal over the line but ‘the game is not over yet’ with Calafiori set to return to training at Bologna on July 20.

Calafiori ‘has made it known that he wants to try the Arsenal experience’ and Bologna have ‘made it known that they will accommodate him, but on their own terms’.

Arsenal are still ‘stuck’ at an offer of €45m plus another €5m in bonuses but Bologna are concerned that they would not get a fair price as Swiss side Basel are entitled to 50 per cent of the fee.

If Basel fail to drop their percentage this summer then Arsenal may have to up their bid to around €60m as Bologna ‘do not intend to sell for less than €30m clean’.

The Swiss side are currently ‘not listening’ to Bologna and the Gunners ‘have offered a loan with obligation to buy for Polish centre-back Jakub Kiwior in an attempt to break the deadlock’ but the Serie A side have ‘refused’.