Jose Mourinho has requested that Real Madrid pursue a deal for Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori, according to reports from Spanish journalists Ramon Alvarez de Mon and Sergio Valentin. This comes after Real Madrid have already secured deals for Ibrahima Konate from Liverpool on a free transfer and Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan for a fee of €20m.
Valentin reported on X that Calafiori was specifically named by Mourinho as a desired reinforcement, alongside Dumfries and Konate. While Bernardo Silva was also mentioned as a target, Mourinho’s preference for Calafiori highlights his desire to bolster Real Madrid’s defensive options ahead of the upcoming season. De Mon echoed this sentiment, noting Mourinho’s appreciation for Calafiori’s versatility as a player capable of featuring at both centre-back and left-back.
Calafiori joined Arsenal from Bologna two summers ago for a fee of £42m including add-ons. Despite his significant price tag, the Italian international has not always been a regular starter for Mikel Arteta’s side, owing to the competition for places within a talented Arsenal squad. He primarily competes with Piero Hincapie and Myles Lewis-Skelly for the left-back position, and has seen limited opportunities at centre-back with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes established as the first-choice pairing.
Notably, Calafiori was left out of the matchday squad for the Champions League final, with Hincapie preferred at left-back. However, Arsenal have previously indicated they are unwilling to sell the player, with sources at TEAMtalk reporting in March that Calafiori is “not for sale” and remains under contract until 2029. This stance suggests that any potential move to Real Madrid would likely require Calafiori to express a desire to leave the Emirates Stadium, or for Real Madrid to submit a bid Arsenal deem too good to refuse.
The arrival of Mourinho at Real Madrid signals a clear intent to build a defensively solid team, and Calafiori’s versatility could prove valuable to his system. While Arsenal are currently resistant to a sale, the allure of playing for a club like Real Madrid could potentially change the dynamic of the situation.
