Riccardo Calafiori transfer fee agreement imminent amid Real Madrid 'contact'

4 Jun 2026 15:03 BST | 5 min read

Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has hit the headlines in recent hours, with transfer insider Fabrizio Romano revealing that Real Madrid have established contact with the Italy international.

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The Spanish giants are currently in the midst of a turbulent period, with Florentino Perez and Enrique Riquelme going head-to-head in an ad hoc election called by the former to showcase that he retains the backing of the club's members.

Both have made sweeping promises, though Riquelme's shooting for the moon could now come back to haunt him. He has claimed that he will sign Erling Haaland, which has prompted Man City to threaten legal action for his unauthorised use of the striker's image rights.

Current ETV

Erling Haaland

F (C)

Man City

Erling Haaland

F (C)

Man City

ETV Range

€125M - €152.7M

Perez's transfer plans appear much more grounded in reality. Jose Mourinho has already signed his contract and will become the club's next head coach, while Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries are already wrapped up as new signings.

That's not the end of Perez's transfer offensive, however, with the incumbent promising that he will overhaul the entire team following back-to-back seasons without silverware.

Perez wants Calafiori

Recent rumours have suggested that Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori is an option currently being considered by the Real Madrid supremo, and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that contact has been made.

"Real Madrid are not finished when it comes to strengthening their defence. Their focus remains on both the centre-back and left-back positions," Romano explained.

"At left-back, Real Madrid have Alvaro Carreras, while Ferland Mendy is currently injured and has struggled with injuries over recent years. The club's idea is to find a player capable of operating both as a centre-back and a left-back.

"Riccardo Calafiori fits that profile and is considered an interesting option. There have also been reports regarding Josko Gvardiol. He is admired by several clubs, but at the moment he remains a very difficult target because Manchester City view him as a crucial player.

"What I can reveal is that Real Madrid made contact with people close to Calafiori a few weeks ago to gather information about the Italian defender. Calafiori remains a very important player for Arsenal, making any potential deal far from straightforward.

"Arsenal consider him an important part of their long-term project."

Calafiori settlement expected

While a transfer to Real Madrid may not be imminent, there is one agreement that is expected to be reached shortly. It pertains to the legal dispute between AS Roma and FC Basel over the money owed to the Serie A side by the Swiss club following Calafiori's Arsenal transfer in 2024.

A boyhood Roma fan, Calafiori came through the club's youth academy, where he suffered a devastating, career-threatening injury. He managed to fight his way back and even made his senior debut for the Giallorossi but ultimately saw his path to the first team blocked.

He left for Basel in 2022, joining the Swiss outfit for €2.5m plus a 40% sell-on clause. The latter came into effect when Basel sold Calafiori to Bologna after just one season. The initial €4m fee resulted in a €1.6m windfall for Roma.

Basel, themselves, inserted a 50% sell-on clause in their deal with Bologna, so they benefited when the Italy international was sold to Arsenal for €45m plus €5m in bonuses in 2024. However, Roma contend that they, too, are owed a fee from that transfer.

The sell-on clause in their deal with Basel pertained to any future transfer of Calafiori, they argue. Consequently, they believe that they are entitled to 40% of the 50% cut Basel received.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Roma are demanding an additional €9.1m (including bonuses) from the Swiss side. Basel argue that this is not the correct interpretation of the clause in Calafiori's contract. A legal battle at the Court of Arbitration for Sport ensued.

The Italian outlet understands that a final settlement appears to be imminent, with the two parties likely to agree a compensation fee for Roma in the region of around €6m.

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