Arsenal get worst-case transfer outcome after announcement as Calafiori stalls

Now we’re starting to talk. Things are beginning to bubble for Arsenal in the transfer market.

David Raya is still the only completed deal for the Gunners but more promise to follow. This is all without taking into account the likely sales this summer as well.

It is coming at the right time for Mikel Arteta as well. Euro 2024 will be over this time next week and all of his stars will one way or another be preparing for pre-season. The tour of America is to come with first matches just around the corner.

Before that, there is work to be done. Here, football.london takes a look at the latest headlines around the club in the summer window.

Cozier-Duberry new club

Brighton have confirmed the signing of former Arsenal youngster Amario Cozier-Duberry on a four-year contract. The teenager left his boyhood club at the end of last month after failing to agree a new deal in north London.

Alongside fellow academy talent Reuell Walters, Cozier-Duberry leaves the Gunners on a free and could soon be lining up against them. In a statement, Seagulls technical director David Weir said, “We’re really pleased to be able to bring Amario to the club.”

READ MORE: Calafiori and Gyokeres sign – Arsenal dream 25-man squad

READ MORE: Arsenal next transfer decided after £27m deal

He added: “He’s got attributes we like and we believe he is a player who can flourish in our environment. We’re looking forward to working with him and helping his career to progress.”

Cozier-Duberry never made a first-team appearance for Arsenal but did make the bench under Arteta, although he failed to do so last season. The 19-year-old managed nine goals and five assists in Premier League 2 last term at youth level, also scoring twice more in the play-offs.

football.london says: This is a huge blow for Arsenal and everyone knows it. Cozier-Duberry has been dubbed the ‘next Bukayo Saka’, and for pretty good reason. In fact, at this stage of development as an attacker, Cozier-Duberry may even be a better fit.

Saka was used at left-back, wing-back and out of position for a while, whereas Cozier-Duberry has been able to excel as a forward. He is still incredibly versatile though, and to lose him is a worry for now and the future. If Arsenal can’t keep some of their best prospects at Hale End then questions will be asked of the pathway Arteta is providing.

At Brighton, Cozier-Duberry is surely destined to not only succeed in making the step up to the Premier League at some stage in the near future, but actually to become a genuine star. Given the way players tend to progress on the south coast, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was moving to a Champions League side within two years for £50million.

Calafiori stall

Arsenal are yet to match Bologna’s asking price for 22-year-old defender Riccardo Calafiori, reports suggest. It is said that although an agreement for personal terms has been agreed there is still a wait for things to be totally wrapped up.

Fabrizio Romano states that a deal is close but so far the Gunners haven’t gone as far as reaching the £42.3million valuation. Things have momentarily stalled in the move after picking up serious pace last week following Italy’s exit from Euro 2024. It is being complicated slightly by the sell-on clause that Basel have in Calfiori’s contract.

Sign up to our Arsenal WhatsApp service and get all the latest breaking news and in-depth stories from football.london’s dedicated Arsenal writers direct to your phone by clicking this link.

For now there is work to be done in order to make Calafiori the first brand new Arsenal player. A fresh round of talks has been prepared to get things over the line though, and Calafiori wants to make the move.

football.london says: Now is not the time for haggling. Calafiori is worth it.

It feels extremely unlikely that any problems will truly emerge from this minor delay, but Arsenal won’t want to hang around, and Arteta will be keen to have things sorted as soon as possible. It was one year ago that Declan Rice was signed as a statement summer buy and things went well for him, so repeating the process here for Calafiori would be worthwhile.

The quicker players are through the door in the summer the better. It gives everyone time to acclimatise, to settle down, and to do it all before pre-season truly kicks off and attention massively shifts. Going under the radar and moving quickly without much fuss is always a benefit.

Bologna have already shown themselves to be shrewd but slightly awkward to work with in their handling of Joshua Zirkzee, so Arsenal would be well advised not to test this any further. The deal is there. Go get it.