Why Riccardo Calafiori's move to Arsenal will get called off?

According to rumors in Italy, Bologna and Riccardo Calafiori's previous club FC Basel are at odds, which is delaying Arsenal's pursuit of the defender. Calafiori is one of Mikel Arteta's main objectives for the upcoming summer transfer window, and the 22-year-old has been the subject of lengthy negotiations between Bologna and Arsenal.

Bologna has reportedly approved Arsenal's offer, which consists of an upfront payment of €40 million (£33.5 million) and additional add-ons of €5 million (£4.2 million). The defender, who featured for Italy in three of their summertime Euro 2024 matches, has also reached a personal agreement with Arsenal.

Nevertheless, rumors claim that FC Basel and Bologna are at odds over Calafiori's sell-on clause, which is delaying the trade. The defender spent only a year with the Swiss team and was not given his initial senior call-up with Italy till May of this year. As a result, Bologna is not happy with Basel's demands, which include 50% of the cost of the transfer that Arsenal is expected to pay. Basel sold Calafiori for €4 million (£3.4 million) last year.

Will Riccardo Calafiori move to Arsenal or will the deal fail?

According to the report, Calafiori's transfer is at a "standstill" since Basel won't drop their asking, and the Serie A team is trying to restructure the sell-on clause because they believe the player's growth and increasing worth will benefit them.

Bologna had anticipated that Calafiori's transfer to Arsenal would be finalized soon after Italy's UEFA Euro 2024 campaign concluded. However, the defender will now return for pre-season training this coming weekend in preparation for their training program in Valles, Alto Adige, which is situated in northern Italy.

Arsenal, meanwhile, has given players who competed at UEFA Euro 2024 and the Copa America 2024 an extended break before welcoming some of them back to training. On July 21, Mikel Arteta's team is scheduled to depart for the United States to begin their preseason tour.