Fabrizio Romano confirms ‘contact’ made for Arsenal transfer with Real Madrid – ‘very important player’

Contact has been established regarding a transfer that would see a ‘very important’ Arsenal player sign for Real Madrid, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Real Madrid are in the midst of overhauling their defence, and they’re wasting no time. Deals to bring Denzel Dumfries and Ibrahima Konate on board have been sealed. Dumfries is arriving from Inter Milan after his €20m release clause was triggered. Konate is leaving Liverpool via free agency and signing a four-year contract at the Bernabeu.

However, incoming Real boss, Jose Mourinho, wants one more big name to complete his rearguard reshuffle.

Two Spanish reporters recently confirmed Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori is in the Portuguese’s sights. In fact, it was even claimed Mourinho has instructed Real Madrid to get the deal done.

That may ring alarm bells at the Emirates given how quickly and easily Real wrapped up deals for Konate and Dumfries. When Los Blancos come calling, they very rarely fail to get their man.

What’s more, Calafiori previously spoke highly of Mourinho despite the fact the manager sold him when the pair were at Roma.

“It was his choice to sell me, but I’ll also tell you something,” said Calafiori. “Mourinho and I talk; he wrote me several messages, and there’s a nice relationship between us.

“He forged my character and personality. The fact that he asks you for 200 percent in every training session and that he makes his choices by looking at what you give on the pitch.”

Real Madrid make contact with Riccardo Calafiori representatives

Now, a fresh update from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed contact with Calafiori’s camp has already been made.

“Real Madrid are not done for defenders,” declared Romano on his YouTube channel. “The situation is linked to the centre-back and left-back position.

“Basically at left-back they have Alvaro Carreras and Ferland Mendy who is injured now and has had many injuries over the years.

“At centre-back, the idea at Real Madrid is if there’s an opportunity of a player who can help as a centre-back and left-back – and Riccardo Calafiori is that profile – for Real Madrid it could be an interesting option to follow in the market.”

Romano then insisted links between Real Madrid and Josko Gvardiol probably won’t come to anything given Manchester City view the Croatian as a “crucial player”.

And getting back to Calafiori, Romano confirmed “contact” has been made with Calafiori’s representatives.

He added: “What I can reveal is there’s been a contact with those close to Calafiori a few weeks ago, with Real Madrid asking for information on the Italian defender.

“He’s still a very important player for Arsenal, so it’s not an easy one at all.”

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Calafiori, 24, cost £42m (add-ons included) when bought from Bologna two summers ago. The Italy international isn’t a guaranteed starter in north London thanks to the presence of Piero Hincapie and to a lesser extent, Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Hincapie’s loan from Bayer Leverkusen will be turned permanent when the window opens. It was he who got the nod over Calafiori at left-back in the Champions League final, with the latter remaining an unused substitute.

Nevertheless, our insider, Graeme Bailey, was previously informed back in March that Arsenal have no desire to wave goodbye to Calafiori. There’s been nothing since to suggest that stance has shifted.

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