Calafiori Nears Arsenal Move Amid Breakup Rumors Denial

Riccardo Calafiori, the 22-year-old Italian international who shone for Gli Azzurri at Euro 2024, is reportedly close to a £42.1 million switch to Arsenal. His potential move to the Premier League giants has been creating waves, but it’s not just his on-field prowess making headlines.

Calafiori, who moved to Bologna last season from Swiss side Basel for a modest £3.4 million, could see the Italian club net a significant profit if the deal goes through. Last season, the talented defender made 33 appearances for Bologna in all competitions, scoring twice and helping the team to a fifth-place finish in Serie A.

Should his transfer to Arsenal be completed, Calafiori will be the Gunners’ second signing of the summer, following the permanent deal for David Raya from Brentford for £27 million.

🔴⚪️✅ Official, story confirmed. David Raya stays at Arsenal on permanent deal for £27m fee. pic.twitter.com/RkEid67PZE

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 4, 2024

Calafiori is expected to bolster Arsenal’s defensive options, providing competition for the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel under Mikel Arteta’s management. However, ahead of his anticipated move to North London, rumors about his relationship status with girlfriend Benedetta Boeme have sparked considerable speculation.

Reports recently emerged suggesting the couple had split, based on a social media post attributed to Boeme. The alleged post stated:

Calafiori's girlfriend announces their break up and wishes him all the best as he joins Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/bfistBDfHX

— Arsenal Extra (@TheArsenalExtra) July 20, 2024

"Many of you have been asking what’s been going on in my life lately, so I decided to finally share it with you. Riccardo and I are no longer together at the moment. I don’t know if we will get through, but I doubt it. I needed some time to process everything that happened over the past 3-4 days. I still need time. It was a difficult decision, one we were considering for days. Neither of us wanted this, but what’s done is done and I can’t help it but want to run away from all this."

However, Boeme has now addressed these rumors on Instagram, clarifying that the statements attributed to her were from a fake profile. She stated:

"I find myself forced to write that I don't have any TikTok profile!! Someone is posing as me and is writing things that are not true! This is my only social profile. I have never talked about anything and never will. I kindly ask anyone who has opened the TikTok page pretending it is me and writing personal and delicate things, which are reported in articles, to close immediately."

Despite some media outlets, including La Gazzetta dello Sport, being misled by the fake account, Boeme has denied the breakup rumors. The false TikTok profile had also falsely claimed Calafiori was moving to Arsenal and that Boeme couldn’t forgive him for an alleged indiscretion during a vacation.

Boeme reiterated her stance on her official Instagram Stories, emphasizing:

“I am forced to write here that I have no TikTok profile!! Someone is pretending to be me and writing things that are not true! This is my only social media account. I have never talked about anything and I never will. I kindly ask whoever opened the TikTok profile pretending to be me and writing personal and delicate things, which then get reported as articles in the media, to immediately close the profile, otherwise I will take legal action.”

While Calafiori’s future at Arsenal seems promising, his personal life remains under scrutiny. Both he and Boeme have notably removed mentions of each other from their Instagram accounts, fueling further speculation, but no official breakup has been announced.

As the transfer saga unfolds, the young defender’s focus will undoubtedly be on his potential new chapter with the Gunners.