Manchester United has been connected to a number of excellent players as they sorely need to bolster their defense in order to replace Raphael Varane.
For a while now, Riccardo Calafiori’s name has been in the spotlight. Italian sources from last month said that Man Utd was planning to make a move to sign the center half for the Azzurri.
Furthermore, it was reported in Spain that the Red Devils are prepared to make an offer in an attempt to entice the Bologna midfielder.
But according to the most recent information, Man Utd have suffered a setback as Arsenal is leading to finalize Calafiori’s signing.
Arsenal reportedly made the final push to “close” the deal “last night” and submitted a formal bid of £46.6 million (55 million euros), according to today’s edition of Corriere dello Sport.
The media organization with its headquarters in Rome reported that the Gunners were aware of the fierce rivalry for the 22-year-old defender.
As a result, they moved quickly to “burn the competition” and presented a sophisticated package that allowed them to quickly seal the transaction.
In addition to the £46.6 million offer, Calafiori will receive 4 million euros per season under the terms of the contract with the north London club.
a significant pay increase for the Italian, who only makes about $750,000 a season according to CorSport.
Man Utd pursued Timber last summer, but Arsenal prevailed in the race to capture the Dutchman. It appears that the Gunners will defeat the Red Devils this time in an attempt to entice Calafiori.
It is important to keep in mind that Arteta’s team had the finest defense in the Premier League last season, conceding just 29 goals.
In comparison, United finished eighth in the rankings despite conceding twice as many goals (58 total) in the league. Who should Ten Hag sign with, is the question.