Arsenal hit the jackpot on “beast” who’s worth millions more than Calafiori

Mikel Arteta saved Arsenal, pulled the Emirates Stadium from the gutter and resculpted it into a force unlike anything that north London has seen in two decades, or thereabouts.

Rivals might chuckle at the lack of silverware. It has been four years since Arteta’s unit defeated Chelsea in the FA Cup final, before the Spaniard had even enjoyed a full term or indeed a pre-season to inculcate his teachings.

The Gunners had a mountain to climb before reclaiming their place at the forefront of the Premier League , and while the summit has not yet been scaled, with Manchester City pushing to extend their unprecedented four successive triumphs, Arteta has been his former master Pep Guardiola’s central title rival across the past two years.

Having bolstered with the statements signings of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Declan Rice, who arrived from West Ham United in a deal worth £105m last summer, Arsenal could afford to be more opportunistic in the market, evidenced by the decision to pounce on Raheem Sterling.

Signing Mikel Merino was one of the most important parts of the window, effectively replacing Granit Xhaka, but it was the deal to sign Riccardo Calafiori that could have a significant impact on the Gunners down the line.

Why Arsenal signed Riccaro Calafiori

Arsenal already have a varied set of top defenders, and though several players were shipped out across the summer months, the backline was left relatively untouched. But still, Calafiori had caught Arteta’s eye.

In July, after performing as a shining light throughout Italy’s difficult summer campaign, Arsenal completed a £42m move to purchase him from Bologna, where he had dazzled as the Serie A side defied expectations to secure a place in the 2024/25 Champions League.

Assertive, technically adept and tactically dynamic, Calafiori is the prototypical modern defender, showcasing his qualities for Italy during Euro 2024 and leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to claim that it was “the beginning of something special ” for the rising star.

His performance against Albania alone was enough to suggest that he has all the tools to craft a successful career on English shores, so influential and commanding in calling for the ball and dictating play from the back.

It’s clear to see why. Calafiori’s ball-carrying expertise and athletic merit plays right into Arteta’s tactical set-up, ranking among the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 19% for pass completion, the top 20% for passes attempted, the top 18% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref .

It’s no surprise that he is often placed on the left side of the defence, with his pace and ball skills making him a wonderful player for Arsenal, driving the ball forward and using his ability to stretch the lines and create overloads, which can work wonders for top ball-possessing teams that regularly face compact low blocks.

The 22-year-old is not the top dog yet though. He’s enjoyed substitute appearances in both of Arsenal’s recent league outings after sitting through the opening-day victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on the bench.

He’s not displaced Gabriel Magalhaes in the starting lineup, with the Brazil international possibly one of Arteta’s most underrated talents.

Why Gabriel Magalhaes is still key for Arsenal

Arteta signed Gabriel from French side Lille for about £23m in September 2020, joining on a long-term contract as Arteta sought to piece together a team capable of competing for Champions League qualification on an annual basis.

He’s had ups and downs throughout his Premier League career, but Gabriel has been a mighty presence at the rear over the past few years, with former Arsenal right-back Lauren even saying: “There isn’t a better centre-back partnership than Gabriel and William Saliba in the Premier League.”

His bond with France international Saliba has been a thing to behold, keeping 18 clean sheets in the Premier League last year as Arsenal won the Golden Glove comfortably.

It’s not hard to see why he’s so highly favoured. As per Sofascore , the 26-year-old completed 89% of his passes in the league last year while averaging 0.7 key passes per game and coming out on top in 66% of his ground duels.

Hailed as a “beast” by journalist Robert Lutesich, Gabriel has yet to miss a minute for Arsenal this season and proved crucial in keeping clean sheets across the first two fixtures.

He’s a top, top defender, and that’s evidenced through his current market value, far above that of Calafiori…

Gabriel Magalhaes’ market value in 2024

Calafiori has not been in the Premier League long but there’s indeed every indication that he will go from strength to strength under Arteta’s leadership, especially given the balmy conditions in north London right now.

But Gabriel is no pushover, with Transfermarkt even recording that he is valued at £59m right now , a fair stretch above that of his new Italian teammate’s £42m transfer fee.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s not to say that Arteta and Edu were wrong to make their move for Calafiori, who can operate across two positions and strengthens the team further as it looks to compete for silverware across four fronts, but Gabriel is quite the partner for prized possession Saliba, and he must continue to earn a berth in the starting line up, guiding Arsenal ever closer to an elusive slice of silverware.