Tottenham Hotspur have expressed an interest in signing Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori in the summer transfer window.
A youth product of AS Roma, Riccardo Calafiori, 21, managed only 18 Serie A appearances for the senior side before joining Swiss side FC Basel in 2022. After a strong season with FC Basel, where he made 34 appearances across all competitions, the defender returned to Serie A and signed for Bologna last summer.
Under the highly coveted Thiago Motta, the 21-year-old was switched to a centre-back role, where he has established himself as one of the finest young defenders in Serie A. Calafiori’s consistent displays for Bologna have reportedly caught the attention of Tottenham Hotspur, but they could face competition from Serie A giants Juventus.
Riccardo Calafiori on Tottenham’s radar
Tottenham and Aston Villa are competing for the fourth spot in the Premier League table which will guarantee a place in the Champions League next season. But, things have taken a big twist as Spurs were battered 4-0 by Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon, before Aston Villa put a dent in Arsenal’s title hopes with a 2-0 success at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The north London side now find themselves three points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa. They do have a game in hand but the embarrassing defeat at Newcastle highlighted a few key issues that need addressing during the summer transfer window. Despite bringing in defender Radu Dragusin from Genoa in January, Ange Postecoglou should push for defensive reinforcements at the end of the season.
Spurs need to add more quality and depth to their defensive unit that has been marshalled well by Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Riccardo Calafiori has emerged as a target for the club, and Postecoglou would be wise to push for the defender’s signature.
Calafiori, who is left-footed, can operate as a centre-back, left-back and wing-back, and such versatility would add a lot of value to the Tottenham squad. The Italian could develop into a key player for the north London outfit under the watchful eyes of Postecoglou, and he has the attributes to succeed in the fast-paced and physical nature of Premier League football.
Currently valued at €25 million by Bologna, it will be interesting to see whether Spurs could beat Juventus to Calafiori’s signature in the summer. However, given he has a contract until 2027, Bologna could easily demand a premium for the Rome-born prospect.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
