David Raya says what he’s already noticed about Riccardo Calafiori after training with him at Arsenal

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Riccardo Calafiori has been at Arsenal for about two weeks now.

The Italian defender joined the Gunners from Serie A side Bologna at the end of July. Talks dragged on for several weeks, but Edu Gaspar sealed the deal in the end.

Calafiori made his debut in the Emirates Cup against Lyon. He came on as a substitute and played both as a left-back as well as in central defence.

Arsenal fans are really impressed with Calafiori, and it looks like David Raya has been blown away too.

David Raya delivers verdict on Riccardo Calafiori at Arsenal

Raya got an extended break following his participation at Euro 2024.

The Spaniard only returned to training after Arsenal came back from their tour of the United States. He has been with the group for less than two weeks.

However, that has given him enough time – not just to train but also have a look at his newest teammate, Calafiori.

It looks like Raya really likes what he has seen from the Italian, and he has raved about a number of things he has spotted in training.

The one thing that seems to have struck Raya is just how strong Calafiori is!

He told Sky Sports: “First of all, he’s a great guy. He’s young, only 22, and he’s hungry. In terms of football, he’s a great player who has a great future.

“He can play left-back, he can play left centre-back. So, the first impression has been very, very good.

“He is very, very strong. He goes for the tackles. He just goes for it. He would put his head in a washing machine, if you know what I’m saying.

“But, the main thing is that he’s a great guy as well as a great player.”

READ MORE: Journalist says he’s hearing something ‘strange’ about Riccardo Calafiori at Arsenal

There might be a small twist in the Calafiori tale

Arsenal pushed really hard to sign Calafiori because they had a very clear problem at left-back.

Oleksandr Zinchenko looked nothing like his usual self in the 2023/24 season, while although Jakub Kiwior produced some good performances, he is not the answer for the whole season.

When Calafiori came in, everyone expected him to become Arsenal’s first-choice left-back, and that may still be the case when the season starts.

However, Zinchneko has suddenly gone up a level at left-back. He has been brilliant in the last few pre-season games and has certainly staked his claim to start the opening game of the new campaign.

Calafiori’s road to becoming a starter looks a lot less straightforward now, but that is a good thing for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.