Former Arsenal player Emmanuel Petit has expressed his concerns regarding manager Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign £42 million defender Riccardo Calafiori during the last summer transfer window. Petit believes that instead of focusing on defensive reinforcements, Arteta should have prioritized strengthening Arsenal’s attacking options by acquiring a striker.
Arsenal successfully secured the 22-year-old Calafiori from Bologna, overcoming competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea. Although the Italy international had only spent one season with Bologna, he made a strong impression with his performances in Serie A, which caught Arsenal’s attention. Despite this, Petit has questioned the rationale behind Arteta’s choice to pursue Calafiori rather than enhancing the team’s offensive capabilities.
When asked if Arsenal should consider signing a new striker in the upcoming January transfer window, Petit remarked, “They should have addressed that in the last transfer window. They should have bought a striker. I know that they extended the quality of the squad with a couple of players, but they added to positions they were well covered in.” He pointed out that while Calafiori was a valuable addition, Arsenal already had two or three players capable of playing at left-back.
Petit further emphasized his admiration for Calafiori but noted that other players, such as the young Lewis-Skelly, have been performing well, and that Oleksandr Zinchenko often finds himself on the bench. This indicates that Arsenal had sufficient coverage in that area of the pitch, leading Petit to question the decision-making process behind the transfer.
Comments are closed for this story.