How Arteta's emotional approach persuaded £42m star to sign for Arsenal
Riccardo Calafiori has shared the story behind his decision to join Arsenal from Bologna.
The Italian defender explained how Mikel Arteta played a key role in convincing him.
The defender has since become an important part of the Arsenal squad.
He has featured regularly under Arteta in different defensive roles.
Calafiori has been used as both a left back and a centre back. His flexibility has helped him gain the full trust of the Arsenal manager.
Despite interest from top Italian sides and Premier League teams, Arsenal stood out. The decision, he explained, was shaped by careful talks rather than pressure.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Calafiori explained how he handled transfer rumours.
He said he made a clear choice to stay focused on football during the season.
“I think throughout the season I never wanted to to hear any rumours about my next season because I wanted to be focused with my team, with the national team,” Calafiori recounts.
Arteta emotional pitch made the difference
Calafiori revealed that Arteta first asked for a direct meeting.
The aim was to explain the club project and his future role.
He added: “At first he [Arteta] just wanted to meet me and explain [to] me how eventually the project [would look] with me. He showed me so many things, so many details, so many statistics and they show me even images of my family actually.
“That was a part that I really won’t forget about. Since I was a kid, obviously [I was] really close with my mom as an Italian kid [and with] my dad and my sister as well. And he just asked me what my family represent for me, you know, [showed] some images of my sister or my mom or my dad.”
Calafiori explained that his family has always shaped his decisions.
Seeing them included in the conversation meant a great deal to him.
Inside Arteta training and mindset
The defender also spoke about Arteta’s approach to management. He highlighted the consistency in how the manager prepares the squad.
Calafiori explained that training intensity never drops at Arsenal. Every session is treated with the same focus and demand.
“I can describe his mentality like he doesn’t care if it’s the first day of preseason or minus one [one day before] the Champions League final, he will train us in the same way,” the Italian further said. “He really wants you to train as if you’re playing a game.”
That mindset, he said, pushes players to stay sharp at all times. It also helps create a strong level of discipline within the squad.
Calafiori will now hope to repay that faith on the pitch. He aims to help Arsenal challenge strongly and win major trophies.
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