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Louis SealeyPublished Jul 10, 2024, 10:42am|Updated Jul 10, 2024, 10:43am
David Seaman has endorsed Arsenal’s £40m move for Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori and urged current Gunners star Aaron Ramsdale to leave the club this summer.
Arsenal are closing in on a deal for Calafiori, who enjoyed a breakthrough season for Serie A side Bologna last term and then impressed in Italy’s brief Euro 2024 campaign.
The 22-year-old has also emerged as a target for Arsenal’s London rivals Chelsea but is said to be keen on a move to north London to work under Mikel Arteta.
Seaman doubts Calafiori, who can play centre-back or left-back, would replace William Saliba or Gabriel but insists the Italian would ‘improve’ the squad and strengthen Arsenal ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Arteta’s side will look to go one better next season after back-to-back second-place finishes in the Premier League.
‘That would be another improvement to the squad,’ Seaman told Betway when asked about Arsenal’s pursuit of Calafiori.
‘William Saliba and Gabriel don’t get replaced in the starting line-up, but if Calafiori comes in it’s more competition for places, and depth in case of injury.
‘Arsenal learned a tough lesson when Saliba was out two seasons ago. We missed him massively, and Takehiro Tomiyasu was injured at that time so Ben White couldn’t move to centre-back.
‘Whether the club need to sell one or two defenders will be on Mikel Arteta’s mind now. It’s tough to say who might leave – Kieran Tierney is injured again and might be out for a while with a bad hamstring injury.
‘As much as you want to continue buying players, you now have to balance the books with the profit and sustainability rules.’
Arsenal have endured a subdued start to the transfer window but completed their first summer signing last week, securing David Raya on a permanent contract following his loan spell from Brentford last season.
Raya’s move to the Emirates Stadium has thrown Ramsdale’s future into doubt and Seaman insists he should leave this summer in pursuit of more regular football.
Ramsdale, who joined Arsenal in 2021, has been linked with Newcastle United and Chelsea in recent weeks.
Seaman told the Daily Star: ‘I’ve always said Aaron is too good to be a number two. He’s a fantastic player. He needs to play. Wherever that is, I don’t know.
‘It’s a weird situation. Ideally, you’d love him to stay because that would be great for the club.
‘But he needs to move for his career. And that includes England because, if he’s not playing, he’ll keep dropping down the pecking order with them.’
Ramsdale has been with England’s Euros squad out in Germany for the past month but has not been needed, with Three Lions No. 1 Jordan Pickford helping Gareth Southgate’s side reach the semi-finals.
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