Newcastle United and Chelsea 'in talks' with Serie A club over star who received Del Piero and Capello praise

Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have reportedly joined the race to sign Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori after he enjoyed an impressive season with the Serie A club.

The highly-rated centre-back’s form in Italy’s top tier earned him a surprise call-up to the senior Italy squad last month and he earned a spot in the Euro 2024 squad after shining alongside Inter star Alessandro Bastoni in pre-tournament friendly meetings with Turkey and Bosnia. Calafiori’s inclusion raised some concerns in the Italian media but Bastoni moved quickly to praise his new centre-back partner ahead of their first game in Germany.

He told Italian radio station Rai: “I never understood this thing about two left-footed centre-backs being a problem, you often see two right-footed defenders, and nobody complains. He (Calafiori) is very talented, and I am convinced the alchemy is on the right track.“

The duo went on to put in an impressive debut at the tournament as they helped Luciano Spalletti’s side to a hard-earned 2-1 win over Albania last Saturday and earned praise from Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero and former AC Milan, Real Madrid and England manager Fabio Capello, who both praised Calafiori’s bravery in what was his first appearance at a major tournament.

"Calafiori was never scared, it looked like he played 70 games for Italy," Del Piero told Sky Italia in the aftermath of the win against Albania. Capello added: "I didn't think someone making his debut could show this much personality. No fear."

There was a rather contrasting emotion for Calafiori on Thursday night as he scored an own goal that led to Italy falling to a 1-0 defeat against a Spain side that ended the game with former Newcastle United duo Mikel Merino and Ayoze Perez joining reported Magpies target Nico Williams on the pitch after being introduced as late substitutes.

Despite the unfortunate own goal that prevented his side from all but sealing their place in the knockout stages of the competition, Calafiori is likely to remain a key figure in the Italy side as they look to secure progression into the round of 16 with a positive result in Monday’s against Croatia. The defender remains in the infancy of his international career and could earn his fifth senior cap in the group stage finale and continue to build on the momentum of a memorable season at club level with Bologna as they secured a fifth place finish in Serie A and will compete in next season’s Champions League.

Calafiori’s performances for club and country have reportedly triggered interest from Juventus and Real Madrid, who were said to have been represented in the stands for Italy’s narrow defeat against Spain. However, Italian outlet Corriere di Bologna have also claimed Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea have opened discussions with the Serie A club. However, the report also states Bologna have ‘reiterated their desire’ to retain the defender’s services as they prepare to compete in European football’s elite club competition for the first time in their history.