Arsenal reportedly have no plans to sell defender Riccardo Calafiori

Arsenal have reportedly dismissed any suggestion of selling defender Riccardo Calafiori this summer, despite a host of Italian clubs monitoring his situation at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal Transfer News: Arteta Labels Calafiori ‘Not for Sale’

The 23-year-old Italy international has made 57 competitive appearances for the Gunners since arriving from Bologna at the start of last season.

With three years still remaining on his current contract, Calafiori’s long-term future appears to lie in North London.

According to TEAMtalk, Serie A pace-setters Inter Milan lead a quartet of Italian giants keeping a close eye on the defender.

Local rivals AC Milan are also tracking his progress, while Napoli and Juventus are monitoring developments as they prepare for the summer transfer window.

However, reports indicate that Arsenal have “little intention” of sanctioning a sale.

Manager Mikel Arteta and newly appointed sporting director Andrea Berta are in complete agreement regarding the club’s transfer stance; Calafiori is not for sale.

From the player’s perspective, the former Roma youth product is happy with life in England. He has settled well into the squad and has no desire to force a move back to his homeland during the upcoming window.

Arteta values Calafiori highly due to his tactical flexibility. The defender can operate comfortably both as a central defender and as an inverted left-back, making him a useful asset in the squad rotation.

That said, competition for places has intensified following the arrival of Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen last summer.

While Calafiori is not a guaranteed starter, he remains above youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly in the pecking order. He continues to see regular minutes and is content with his current role, even if he does not always make the starting eleven.

While a move to a club like Inter or AC Milan might offer him more guaranteed playing time, Arsenal consider him a vital part of the squad moving forward. For now, the Gunners remain firm: Calafiori is going nowhere.