Riccardo Calafiori has been named as the signing of the summer by ESPN pundit Mark Ogden, despite the player’s limited minutes for Arsenal so far.
A few months into the 2024/25 campaign, ESPN decided to do a Way Too Early Premier League Awards show, where they effectively pick their winners and losers from the season so far.
Riccardo Calafiori was Mark Ogden’s pick for signing of the summer, with the pundit arguing that his presence in or absence from the team has been felt.
“The difference he made when he did play…” Ogden began. “I thought he brought some real kind of quality and he toughened up the Arsenal defence and he solved the problem and they have missed him, you know?
“Where Arsenal are right now, they’ve missed him. Let’s be honest, right, there haven’t been that many top signings this season, I have to say, and I did struggle to fill this gap.
“But I thought Calafiori, for me, has been a good signing for Arsenal when he’s been fit.”
Ogden was making the comments ahead of Arsenal’s weekend match against Nottingham Forest, and Calafiori’s return in that game didn’t do anything to hurt his reputation.
Despite having just got back from a knee injury, the 22-year-old managed 67 minutes and helped Arsenal to a win and a clean sheet.
The clean sheet was the team’s first in the league since mid-September, though they had kept one in the League Cup and two in the Champions League since then. Calafiori started both of those Champions League games, so he can claim some credit there too.
Arsenal will hope that Calafiori helps the team rediscover their solidity at the back whilst also offering something going forward, but for now, the main aim should be to get a run of games together.
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