Report: What Riccardo Calafiori's agent is now doing as talks with Arsenal continue

Some reports in Italy had expected a deal to take Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal to be completed by this point of the week.

Mikel Arteta wants Calafiori at Arsenal, and Bologna seem willing to sell their prize asset for the right price.

Arteta wants to use Calafiori as an inverted full-back, a role that isn’t necessarily familiar to the Italian.

The centre-back is incredibly versatile, able to play on the left and step into midfield, but it’s not a role he’s specifically played for club or country.

Arteta attempted to re-train Jakub Kiwior in a similar fashion last season, but ultimately decided to switch back to Takehiro Tomiyasu when fit.

But 22-year-old Calafiori is a better player on the ball, a defender who offers Kiwior’s defensive nous whilst able to mimic Oleksandr Zinchenko in possession.

That being said, it’s clear why Arsenal are attempting to push through a deal, hoping to kick-start their summer business.

And according to a new report by Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Arsenal aren’t the only party pushing things.

Riccardo Calafiori’s agent trying to find compromise between Arsenal and Bologna

According to the information mentioned, Calafiori’s agent Alessandro Lucci is now attempting to find a compromise between Arsenal and Bologna.

Bologna are currently demanding €50m (£42m) for the defender plus bonuses and the inclusion of a sell-on percentage.

However, so far Arsenal are just offering €50m straight up, with no additional caveats.

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It already seems like a steep price for Edu to pay, so it’s understandable why the club may be reluctant to then sacrifice any profit made on Calafiori in the future too.

That being said, Lucci is working hard to ‘smooth out’ the difference between the two clubs.

As we’ve seen in the past with interest in Mykhaylo Mudryk and Moises Caicedo, Arsenal won’t involve themselves in bidding wars, nor will they pay over the odds in terms of wages or fees.

Therefore, Arsenal fans will hope that this current impasse doesn’t lead to the deal collapsing, which would put the Gunners back to square one.

Arteta does need a new left-footed defender this season, as much as he needs any other addition.

That being said, it seems as if Arteta has now found Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka replacement.