Mikel Arteta has hinted that Arsenal plan to sign loanee Piero Hincapie on a permanent basis, a deal that could have ripple effects for another defender in his squad
Mikel Arteta is already planning Arsenal’s summer business(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori wants to seal an emotional return to boyhood club Roma. Calafiori, 23, has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates after suffering injury in December.
Since returning in late January, the Italy international has only started one Premier League match, having been usurped at left-back by loanee Piero Hincapie during his absence. Arsenal have the option to purchase Hincapie at the end of this season for £45million, and Mikel Arteta hinted last week that they plan to sign him permanently.
Arteta’s comments coincided with Calafiori making an appearance on Italian podcast Supernova. The left-sided defender was asked about the prospect of re-signing for Roma, where spent 12 years as a youngster before joining Swiss giants Basel and later returning to Serie A with Bologna.
“I’d like to return to Roma sooner or later,” Calafiori is quoted as saying by Corriere dello Sport. “We can’t plan it, of course, but yes, I want to return.”
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It was at Bologna and for Italy at Euro 2024 where Calafiori convinced Arsenal to pay £33.7m for his services. But the 23-year-old has ‘unfinished’ business with Roma, having broken into the first-team aged 18 before Jose Mourinho took over and cast him aside following their infamous 6-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt.
“I left something unfinished,” Calafiori, who was born in the Italian capital, explained. “It all started very well, with a goal. I played a lot for the first six months with Mourinho, even providing a few assists. Then came Bodo Glimt-Roma and from that moment on, I didn’t play again.
“I went to Genoa on loan, but I didn’t play there either – only three appearances. In the meantime, Roma won the Conference [League]. There was no more room for me.”
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Riccardo Calafiori joined Arsenal in 2024(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Nevertheless, he appears to be happy in North London and loves working under Arteta. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Calafiori said: “Obviously, he’s a really demanding guy, but I like it.
“It’s always better when your coach is asking you things in a good way, in a bad way, but it’s always nice to learn and it’s crazy how much effort he puts every time, every day. And especially for me – I can speak about me – he wants me to improve as much as I can.”
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