Arsenal have reportedly made their first move to sign one of the breakout stars at Euro 2024.
The summer competition in Germany has been quite the spectacle with the group stage concluding today, with Arsenal set to be well-represented in the round of 16 with Kai Havertz, William Saliba and Bukayo Saka just some of the players who have progressed to the knockouts.
As well as current Arsenal players, the Gunners have been seemingly using the tournament as a way to scout potential targets, with Turkey wonderkid Arda Guler rumoured to be on the north London side’s radar this summer.
And it appears that Arsenal have now launched their move to sign one of the competition’s breakout players.
Arsenal in contact with Italy star Riccardo Calafiori’s agent
According to Tuttosport, Arsenal have approached Riccardo Calafiori’s agent to discuss a potential move, with the Bologna defender arguably the breakout player at this summer’s Euros with Italy.
The 22-year-old centre-back has impressed for the Azzurri as Calafiori assisted the crucial goal against Croatia in Italy’s final group stage match to send them through to the knockout stage of the Euros.
READ MORE: Every Arsenal player at Euro 2024 as 11 stars represent their nations
As per the report, Bologna have already set a €50m (£42m) asking price for Calafiori this summer, with Tottenham also in the hunt to sign the Italian international, alongside Arsenal.
And for the Gunners, they could now have the potential to pull off one of the best signings of the summer market if they can strike an agreement with Bologna for Calafiori in the coming weeks.
Calafiori is the dream defensive cover for the Gunners this summer
An opinion we at Arsenal Insider have already stated, Calafiori has been a true revelation this summer at the Euros, with the defender going from a relative unknown outside of Italy into a household name.
And the left-footed centre-back could be a dream signing for Arsenal in the transfer market as the Gunners look to add defensive cover to their ranks for the upcoming season.
Indeed, Calafiori has shown this summer he can perform at the highest level in the European game, and a move to a club like Arsenal seems like a logical next step for the 22-year-old, who is ready for the big leagues this summer.
Arsenal winners and losers at Euro 2024
In this week’s episode, Will Jones and Rahul Lakhani discussed the first few days of the European Championships. With Arsenal players such as Kai Havertz and Kieran Tierney experiencing mixed starts to the tournament, the pair assessed which Gunners were the winners and losers from the group stages so far.
There was some talk about transfers based off the Euros, with Arsenal-linked Amadou Onana’s display for Belgium discussed, whilst Leandro Trossard’s poor performance was analysed, and Bukayo Saka’s sensational England showing lauded.
