David Ornstein claims he is hearing some disturbing things concerning Arsenal about transfer target Riccardo Calafiori

Riccardo Calafiori appears to be Arsenal’s likely first summer acquisition.

It seems that the Italian is on the brink of relocating to the Emirates, with a reported fee of approximately £42 million being proposed.

Arsenal appears to be in the process of investing in Calafiori; however, there is some concern that the Gunners may be receiving a less favourable outcome from this transaction.

David Ornstein has provided some insight into Calafiori during his appearance on The Athletic FC Podcast. He asserts that his contacts within the game have informed him that the Italian is being overvalued at £42m.

Riccardo Calafiori is exorbitantly priced.

Ornstein disclosed his knowledge regarding the Italian.

“They are requesting approximately €50 million (£42 million), which many individuals within the game believe is significantly higher than his market value. They are suggesting that this figure has been inflated by the fact that he performed well for Italy at the Euros. Additionally, there is the complication that Basel are entitled to approximately 40-50% of any future transfer,” Ornstein stated.

The price offered by Calafiori appears to be reasonable.

At one time, the notion of paying £42 million for a player who has never participated in the Champions League would have been absurd; however, the current state of football transfers is far from absurd.

In a world where Antony and Mykhaylo Mudryk are valued at more than £80 million, there appears to be no discernible pattern or rationale behind the pricing of any individual player.

Arsenal’s acquisition of Ben White for £50 million several years ago is comparable to Calafiori’s £42 million. The two individuals were of comparable ages when they relocated and occupied comparable positions.

Calafiori, an Italy international, is currently playing for a high-flying Bologna squad, while White was playing for a struggling Brighton team and was not capped for England.

From an outside perspective, £42 million appears to be an appropriate amount for an athlete with this level of experience and stature. Nevertheless, it appears that some individuals in the football industry believe that he is a bit exorbitant, which is not promising for Arsenal.