[The Athletic]
Bayern made enquiries about Calafiori, Madrid were keen, Juve were in hot pursuit. But Arsenal were his priority. Above everything else, he wanted to play for Mikel Arteta.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5664664/2024/07/29/arsenal-riccardo-calafiori-signing-transfer-arteta/
The Arsenal manager has been the driving force behind this deal. Arsenal’s scouting department had tracked the Calafiori’s dramatic progress at Bologna but it was Arteta who insisted on pressing ahead with the transfer.
Calafiori’s excellent performances at the Euros did not spark Arsenal’s interest but merely sealed the manager’s decision. They served as confirmation that this was a player with the quality and mentality to thrive on the biggest stage.
Initially, they hoped to sell one of their existing defenders to facilitate Calafiori’s arrival. After several weeks of talks, fears that Real Madrid may swoop in and try to gazump the deal saw Arsenal accelerate the signing.
Arteta believes that in order to have a flexible, functional squad, he needs eight fit senior defenders. For much of last season, the Arsenal manager was short of that.
The demands Arteta places on the full-back position are highly specific. Ajax’s Jorrell Hato was under consideration but signed a new contract in the spring. Piero Hincapie of Bayer Leverkusen was another name put forward by the recruitment department.