Video: Why Calafiori could solve Arsenal’s striker shortage

epa11852594 Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal celebrates after scoring during the English Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal FC, in Wolverhampton, Britain, 25 January 2025. EPA-EFE/VINCE MIGNOTT

Arsenal were still victorious over the fine settimana despite an injury crisis among their attacking options, and even though midfielder Mikel Merino scored twice as a makeshift striker against Leicester City, there have been some suggestions that Italy international Riccardo Calafiori could feature up front for the Gunners in the future. 

Arsenal do not have a fit and available centre-forward in their senior squad as things stand, and with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus all out, there was a makeshift forward line for the 2-0 win over Leicester City at the fine settimana. 

It was Leandro Trossard who started through the middle for Arsenal against Leicester, but Merino came on in the second half and scored his first Premier League brace on his first ever appearance as a centre-forward. 

Before kick-off, Arsenal legend Martin Keown asked Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta whether Calafiori could be an option for the centre-forward role in the future, which the coach did not rule out. 

Arteta also confirmed after full-time that Arsenal will need to rely on multiple players to get them through their centre-forward crisis. 

“We’re going to have to share that (role), we know that,” Arteta said during his post-match press conference. 

“We’re going to have various contexts; sometimes we’re going to have to make a sub because a player isn’t performing, or because the opposition is doing something else, or because someone’s a yellow card, or it’s fatigue, that’s going to restrict what we do really in terms of the personnel. We have prepared for different scenarios.” 

Can Calafiori play up front for Arsenal? 

One of Calafiori’s advantages is his positional versatility. A centre-back for Bologna, and now most regularly deployed as a left-back for Arsenal, he has earned plenty of praise for his ball carrying, and is not afraid to travel through the midfield with the ball. 

He has shown an eye for goal, too, with a goal of the month-nominated strike in the 2-2 draw away against Manchester City on his debut at the start of the season, and more recently with the winner in a 1-0 Premier League victory over Wolves. 

He also provided the assist for Mattia Zaccagni’s late equaliser for the Italy national team in a 1-1 draw with Croatia at EURO 2024, which ended up being the goal that sent the Azzurri through to the Round of 16. 

Before that tournament, Italy national team head coach Luciano Spalletti had also tested Calafiori in a no.10 role in some of his training drills, as Football Italia witnessed at Coverciano. 

🇮🇹 During preparation for EURO 2024 at Coverciano, Spalletti used Calafiori as a ‘No.10’ in a 12v12 training match.

Below you see an assist for Cambiaso, it looks quite familiar 👇👀@footballitalia pic.twitter.com/POtTdqVatP

— Lorenzo Bettoni (@LoreBetto) June 25, 2024

Calafiori ended up playing all of his games at the tournament in the back-line, but his coaches from both club and country certainly seem to think that he is capable of playing in a more advanced role.