Although Arsenal fans might have preferred their club to invest in a new striker last summer, the funds Mikel Arteta spent on Riccardo Calafiori have certainly been well justified.
Calafiori is enjoying an excellent first season for Arsenal, a defender who has added much needed strength in depth in north London.
The Italian is first back up to Gabriel Magalhaes at left centre-back, and Calafiori is also going toe-to-toe with Myles Lewis-Skelly to be Arsenal’s starting left-back – a very healthy situation for Arteta.
Of course, Arsenal’s back line now looks well set for the future, even if the likes of Kieran Tierney, Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko might all leave in the summer.
And if they do, supporters in N17 will be hoping that any funds raised will be directed towards the club’s attacking options.
Arsenal chiefs are interested in Bologna striker Santiago Castro
That being said, Football Transfers are now reporting that Arsenal are interested in Calafiori’s former teammate Santiago Castro.
Castro is a 20-year-old striker who arrived at Bologna from Velez in Argentina at the start of 2024 – six months before Calafiori joined the Gunners.
READ MORE: Arsenal now interested in £67m striker who’s already in close contact with Thierry Henry
And after settling at the club, Castro is beginning to really impress this season, scoring nine goals in 36 appearances across all competitions.
According to the report, Arsenal have been impressed by Castro’s ‘consistent form’, a striker who clearly still has room to improve as well.
It’s said that the youngster could cost interested clubs around €30m (£25m), with interest also existing from Arsenal’s Premier League rivals, the likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
Santiago Castro might not be the striker Arsenal fans wanted
Of course, Arsenal also recruited Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna in 2021, meaning they’re well accustomed to buying from the Italian side.
It’s no secret that the Gunners are after a striker this summer, having decided against any short-term deal in January.
Interestingly, Castro has been dubbed as the ‘heir to Joshua Zirkzee’s throne’ at Bologna, the striker who effectively replaced the Dutchman when he headed to Manchester United.
Arsenal were interested in Zirkzee last summer, a striker who hasn’t really got going at Old Trafford just yet amid a difficult situation for the club as a whole.
But in terms of Arsenal signing Castro, the Argentinian’s potential arrival might be met with some derision at the Emirates Stadium should it happen.
Arsenal fans have been waiting for a superstar striker to arrive, and Castro would clearly still be something of a ‘project player’ for the Gunners.
