August 7th 2024.
Arsenal's recent signing, Riccardo Calafiori, has yet to make an appearance in the team's pre-season matches. According to manager Mikel Arteta, they are taking their time in integrating Calafiori into the club, which is why he was not present in their recent win against Bayer Leverkusen.
After weeks of speculation, Arsenal finally confirmed the arrival of Calafiori from Serie A's Bologna last month, for a reported fee of €50m. The talented Italian international, who impressed at the European Championship, became the Gunners' second signing of the transfer window, following David Raya's permanent transfer from Brentford.
One of the main reasons for Arsenal's pursuit of Calafiori was his versatility, as the 22-year-old is comfortable playing at both centre-back and left-back. However, despite the anticipation from Arsenal supporters, Calafiori has yet to make an appearance in their colors. He sat out their friendly match against Liverpool and also missed the recent game against Leverkusen.
In the Emirates Cup fixture, Arsenal put on an impressive performance, securing a 4-1 victory with goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz. The match also marked the return of Granit Xhaka to the Emirates Stadium for the first time since his departure. However, defender Jurrien Timber was absent due to a foot issue, as revealed by Arteta in his post-match press conference.
"With Jurrien, he had some discomfort in his feet in the last few days," Arteta explained. "Considering the amount of time he's been out, we didn't want to take any risks with him." The manager also addressed Calafiori's absence, stating, "So much has happened to him in one week. He's come into a new environment, a different methodology, and training, so we are managing him. We want to take it slowly to get him in the best possible way, and hopefully, he will be available to play some minutes on Sunday."
Despite Leverkusen's impressive unbeaten record in the Bundesliga last season, Arteta saw many positives in the team's performance. "Apart from the result, the way we performed, there were a lot of very positive aspects, both collectively and individually," he commented. "We have a lot to learn and improve, especially in the second half when we made certain changes. But overall, it was a good test against a well-coached team."
Towards the end of the press conference, Arteta was asked about the future of striker Eddie Nketiah, who has been linked with a move to Marseille. Recent reports suggest that Arsenal may lower their asking price for the young striker, potentially opening the door for a transfer. Arteta responded, "It's the same situation with all the players. Everybody wants to play and have opportunities. They have to earn it, and there is no difference with Nketiah."
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