Arsenal are closing in on signing Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna just two years since Jose Mourinho allowed him to leave Roma.

Another Premier League season is now on the horizon and Arsenal are looking to challenge for the Premier League title once again.

Mikel Arteta's men came even closer last season but still lost out to Manchester City.

There is scope for this Arsenal team to get even better and Arteta appears to have pinpointed left back as a position of focus.

Jurrien Timber, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior all featured in that position last season.

HITC understands that Arsenal are prepared to let Zinchenko, Kiwior and Kieran Tierney leave this summer, if offers come in.

Nuno Tavares has already been moved out on loan to Lazio and that deal may pave the way for a new arrival.

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The Italian defender is preparing to make the move to North London whilst Basel stand to make big money off the move.

Calafiori was superb at Euro 204 with his ability to stride out of defence and get his side moving forward.

A strong defender too, the 22-year-old is comfortable as a left back or centre back and the likelihood is that he will operate in the former at Arsenal.

The last few years have been quite the ride for Calafiori, who hals from Rome and spent 12 years in the Roma setup.

Calafiori managed 18 first-team appearances for Roma but was sold to Basel in August 2022 following a loan spell with Genoa.

Jose Mourinho was happy for Calafiori to go and the defender has taken his game to another level, shining with Basel before taking that form to Bologna.

So just why did Mourinho let such a talented defender go?

Calafiori started in an infamous 6-1 defeat at Bodo/Glimt and struggled for chances after that, but Igli Tare believes that the decision was mostly down to injuries.

Calafiori suffered a number of muscle problems at Roma and former Lazio transfer chief Tare has told Tuttomercatoweb that Roma simply didn't have the room to allow Calafiori to play after his injuries.

Tare feels that Roma still rated Calafiori but had to let him go for his own sake, with the move to Basel paying dividends - for the player and all the clubs involved.

"I think it is an important thing. Boundaries no longer exist in today's football," said Tare. "I don't think that Roma didn't see him as a strong player but he was coming off major injuries and needed space that the Giallorossi couldn't give him. All the clubs took advantage of his growth, Bologna, Basel, Roma and Arsenal who will take him. Calafiori is the classic example of trusting players and they will eventually leave," he added.

Calafiori ready for next step Two years ago, Calafiori had to leave Italy to go and prove himself in Switzerland.

Now, he stands on the brink of a major Premier League move and being trusted as a player to help bring the Premier League title to Arsenal.

That is quite the trajectory and pundit Frank Leboeuf is backing him to make Arsenal 'much better'.

Reports in Italy suggest that Mourinho did rate Calafiori and even asked Roma to insert a buy-back clause into the deal, just in case he fulfilled his potential away from the Stadio Olimpico.

However, sporting director Tiago Pinto - now at Bournemouth - thought Calafiori's injuries were just too extreme and let him go without such a clause existing.

Roma's loss is Arsenal's gain, with Mourinho no doubt feeling that he was actually right about Calafiori in terms of believing that he could still have a bright future - and that future will now come with Arsenal.