"He would put his head in a washing machine" – Arsenal star makes interesting claim about new signing Riccardo Calafiori

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has heaped praise on summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, claiming that the Italian is unafraid in his approach.

Earlier this July, Calafiori joined the Gunners from Serie A side Bologna in a move worth up to £42 million. The 22-year-old, who impressed at the UEFA Euro 2024, penned a deal until June 2029 at the Gunners.

During a recent interview with Sky Sports, Raya was asked to offer his thoughts on the new Arsenal defender. He replied (h/t Arseblog News):

"He is very, very strong. He goes for the tackles. He just goes for it. He would put his head in a washing machine."

Calafiori, who registered one assist in three games for Italy at the Euro 2024, is likely to push Oleksandr Zinchenko down his club's pecking order. He is adept at playing at left-back apart from playing centrally.

Last campaign, Calafiori relished a breakout season at Bologna as he helped his former club finish fifth in the Serie A standings. He bagged two goals and laid out five assists in 33 matches across competitions.

Lauren hails Arsenal-linked midfielder

During a chat with MyBettingSites.co.uk, ex-Arsenal star Lauren was asked to opine on the Gunners' pursuit of Mikel Merino. He replied:

"Nowadays in football, £25 million for a player like Mikel Merino, as per [the] market, is great business. Of course, it is a lot of money but [it is acceptable] for a player like Merino, who has been absolutely brilliant. I analyse the La Liga and he is an outstanding player."

Showering praise on the left-footed Spaniard, Lauren concluded:

"He is not only the typical holding midfield player, he drops to receive the ball, gets into position from where he can score goals. We saw that in the Copa del Rey against Mallorca, in the Euros where he attacked spaces inside the box. He never loses the ball and he will give a lot if Arsenal go for him. He is a quality player."

Merino, 28, has found the back of the net 27 times and contributed 30 assists in 242 games across all competitions for Real Sociedad so far.

According to The Independent, Real Sociedad are holding out for a fee in the region of £30 million, with the star's deal set to expire next June.

Should the former Newcastle United star join Arsenal, he would pop up as a vital starter alongside captain Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.