The defender is closing in on a move to the Gunners from Bologna.

Riccardo Calafiori is reportedly closing in on a move to Arsenal – and his girlfriend has responded to rumours the couple have broken up on the verge of his switch to the Premier League.

The 22-year-old Italy international caught the eye playing for Gli Azzurri at Euro 2024 and is said to be nearing a switch to the Gunners worth £42.1m.

Calafiori moved to Bologna last season from Swiss side Basel for just £3.4m, meaning the Italian side are poised to bank a huge profit on the defender if the deal gets over the line.

Calafiori played 33 times for Bologna in all competitions last season, scoring twice, as they finished fifth in Serie A.

Should the young defender’s transfer be completed, Calafiori will become Arsenal’s second signing of the summer, following David Raya’s loan move from Brentford being converted into a permanent deal for £27m.

Calafiori operates principally in the heart of defence and means he will offer competition to the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel for Mikel Arteta’s side.

But ahead of his move to North London, speculation has swirled surrounding his relationship status with girlfriend Benedetta Boeme.

There were indeed suggestions that the pair had recently split up, as per a social media post attributed to Boeme.

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She allegedly wrote: “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 taken to Instagram to respond to the social media posts, and claimed that they are fake and the allegations she and Calafiori have broken up are not true.

She said: “I find myself forced to have 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.”