The European Championships may be in full swing, but with the transfer window wide open, there's no rest for the wicked.
After coming agonisingly close to dethroning Manchester City in the Premier League last season, Arsenal remain on the lookout for the right players who could help them bridge that gap.
Mikel Arteta's side scored five fewer goals than the eventual champions but could boast the best defensive record in the league.
Interestingly, based on recent reports, it looks as if Edu Gaspar and Co want to solidify their crucial advantage in the coming weeks, as the latest player touted for a move to the Emirates has been one of the most exciting defenders at the Euros and could be the ideal long-term partner for William Saliba.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are now interested in Bologna's star defender, Riccardo Calafiori.
The Italian journalist has claimed that while the player favours a move to Juventus, his club's uneasy relationship with the Old Lady could see him sold to a team outside of Serie A, and following Italy's exit from the Euros at the weekend, Bologna expect more Premier League clubs to start circling above.
A report from football.london late last week revealed that £40m is thought to be the fee that will see the player move, and while that's not cheap, it may prove value for money based on his recent performance and the prospect of seeing him play alongside Saliba is undoubtedly a compelling one.
Why Calafiori would be a great signing
So, one of the main reasons that Calafiori would be a brilliant defender for Arsenal to sign is that he plays on the front foot and could play an essential role in helping the Gunners control games and pile pressure onto their opponents.
For example, FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe's top five leagues, places the 22-year-old in the top 1% of centre-backs for assists, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for interceptions and the top 8% for successful take-ons, all per 90.
However, if Arteta is able to get his man, he'd likely only join to play regularly, which in turn would likely see him rival Gabriel for a starting role in the team, as the fact Saliba started 100% of league games last season suggests that the Spaniard has no intention of dropping him.
In this case, it's important to see how the Italian and Brazilian defenders compare, and the best way to do that is to look at their underlying numbers.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.10
0.15
Non-Penalty Goals
0.07
0.12
Assists
0.17
0.00
Progressive Passes
3.69
3.46
Progressive Passes Received
0.88
0.24
Progressive Carries
1.08
0.38
Passing Accuracy
89.6%
88.7%
Live Passes
66.2
60.1
Shot-Creating Actions
1.77
0.68
Goal-Creating Actions
0.31
0.09
Tackles
1.81
1.42
Tackles Won
1.28
0.83
Blocks
1.46
1.30
Interceptions
1.94
0.92
Clearances
2.85
2.96
Successful Take-Ons
0.50
0.06
Ball Recoveries
7.46
4.02
Aerial Duels Won
2.31
2.28
Unfortunately for the former LOSC Lille ace, when doing this, it becomes clear that his potential competition looks superior in almost all metrics.
For example, the 6 foot 2 "monster," as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, comes out ahead for assists, progressive passes, progressive passes received, progressive carries, passing accuracy and live passes, shot and goal-creating actions, tackles won, blocks and interceptions, ball recoveries, aerial duels won, and successful take-ons, all per 90.
Now, you could argue that Serie A is not as strong a league as the Premier League, but even so, it is hard to ignore the extent to which the "sensational" centre-back, as dubbed by Mattinson, outperforms Gabriel's underlying numbers.
Ultimately, if Arsenal have the chance to secure Calafiori's services for just £40m, then they simply have to take it, as a partnership between him and Saliba could see them produce an even better defensive record next season.
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