Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has admitted that Arsenal’s summer signing of Riccardo Calafiori saddened him.
The 22-year-old arrived in north London from Bologna this summer in a deal worth £42m after an impressive spell in Serie A.
Calafiori made his first start for the Gunners in their 2-2 draw with Manchester City last weekend and notched up his first goal for the club with a superb first-half strike.
While settling in nicely at the Emirates, it could have been very different for the versatile defender with several European clubs linked with a summer move for Calafiori.
One such team was Serie A giants Juventus and the club’s sporting director has now admitted his concern with the growing trend of talented young Italian players leaving the country to join other elite clubs abroad.
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‘It’s sad not being able to keep Riccardo Calafiori in Serie A,’ Giuntoli told Corriere della Sera when asked about Calafiori’s move to Arsenal.
‘It’s a regret for all of Italian football, not just for Juventus.
‘We need to question ourselves about not having had the strength to keep a player of his calibre in Italy. The big teams have all taken a defender, not him.’
Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, was full of praise for Calafiori and how quickly he has adapted to the rigours of Premier League football.
‘He came back, had a little glimpse, then went on international duty and got injured, so we had to manage him again,’ Arteta said on Friday.
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‘Then we threw him against Man City away for the first Premier League start and I think he was superb.
‘He’s really good. He’s adapted really well to the group, his understanding is exceptional and you see he’s a player with an enormous courage and personality to play, so he’s going to give us a lot.’
Asked about the decision to play him against City, Arteta added: ‘With another player, probably I wouldn’t do it.
‘But because I know how he copes and when I speak to him he really wants it, I decided to do it and he showed that he’s prepared to do it.’
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