Arsenal: Club ‘ask for’ Arteta signing during £45m defender talks with player ‘waiting’ on transfer

Bologna have ‘asked for’ an Arsenal player during talks with the Premier League club over Riccardo Calafiori, according to reports.

Arsenal are hoping to complete the signing of the Italy defender for a fee in the region of £45million.

Transfer negotiations with Bologna were moving fast but there have been some issues between the Serie A club and Calafiori’s former employers FC Basel over the agreed sell-on clause.

The Serie A club agreed to include a 50 per cent sell-on clause when they signed the 22-year-old for €4million last August.

With Arsenal willing to pay between £40-50m for Calafiori, Bologna are reportedly eager for Basel to agree to a reduction, leaving the transfer to Arsenal ‘on standby’ .

This will no doubt be frustrating Arsenal, however, a deal is far from being scrapped as Mikel Arteta’s side wait for a resolution between Bologna and Basel.

It was reported earlier this month that the Italians ‘refused’ Gunners defender Jakub Kiwior as part of the deal , with the Londoners proposing a loan with an obligation to buy.

Interestingly, it has now been reported by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano that Bologna have in fact ‘asked for’ the Polish international, who is ‘not keen on the move’.

Romano adds that Arsenal are willing to let Kiwior leave the club this summer as Calafiori ‘keeps waiting’ for his move to the Emirates to be finalised.

Romano wrote on X: ‘Bologna asked for Jakub Kiwior during talks with Arsenal for Riccardo Calafiori, but Polish defender’s currently not keen on the move. Calafiori keeps waiting for Arsenal.

‘Kiwior can leave Arsenal on loan with mandatory buy clause, as reported in June.’

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Real Madrid could attempt to hijack Arsenal’s pursuit of Calafiori after missing out on Leny Yoro to Manchester United.

Chelsea had previously held an interest in the Italian international but they swiftly turned their attention to Renato Veiga – Calafiori’s replacement at Basel – as a cheaper alternative.

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