Arsenal reach agreement to sign Calafiori from Bologna

Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle with Bologna for the signing of Riccardo Calafiori.

However, Calafiori still has to take a medical before officially signing a long-term contract with the Gunners.

The deal for the defender, who can play at centre-back or left-back, is worth in the region of £42m (€50m).

The Italy international defender could join up with the Arsenal squad at some point on their pre-season tour of the USA if the transfer is completed in time.

Sky Sports News has been told another Premier League club, as well as Juventus and Real Madrid tried to sign the player in the last 10 days.

But Calafiori only wanted a move to Arsenal and gave his word he would join the Gunners. His representative Alessandro Lucci, from World Soccer Agency, has worked with both clubs over the past month to ensure a deal would get done.

Bologna bought him from Swiss club Basel last summer for €4m (£3.4m), with Basel standing to make 50 per cent of Bologna's profit on any deal.

Source: Sky Sports