Arsenal are now interested in acquiring a “big” star like Ben White

It's been three weeks since the transfer window opened, and while there have been moves here and there, it feels like clubs are waiting for the European competition to end before investing.

In Arsenal's case, they have signed two permanent players so far, welcoming 18-year-old Lucas Nygaard to the club and exercising the option to buy David Raya's loan deal from Brentford.

However, based on the latest reports, Mikel Arteta looks set to welcome a player who has captured the attention of the football world recently and shares many similarities with Gunners star right back, Ben White.

Arsenal transfer news

According to the latest report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are closing in on securing the services of Bologna star defender Riccardo Calafiori after agreeing personal terms with the Italian.

The reporter revealed that the Gunners are clearly interested in the player's signature, as there have been no discussions with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayer Leverkusen, or Chelsea Football Club.

A previous report from Romano revealed that the North Londoners have agreed a five-year deal with the 22-year-old which will see him earn €4m a year, the equivalent of £3.4m.

Reports in the last week or so have suggested that the transfer fee will cost Arsenal around £42m, and while it's absolutely a lot of money, Calafiori looks like an incredibly exciting defender, and the fact that he shares the same similarities with White no doubt confirms it.

Similarity between Calafiori and White

So, while Calafirori enjoyed an exceptional Serie A campaign with Bologna last season and helped them qualify for the Champions League, he caught the eye of the footballing world thanks to his impressive performances for the Italian side who missed out on the Euros this summer.

He started and featured in all three of the Azzurri's group games in Germany and missed the round of 16 match against Switzerland – the game that eliminated the team – due to picking up two yellow cards.

In the three games he played, he played as a linebacker, but throughout his career, he has started many games at linebacker, the first game he shares with White.

For example, in 129 games, he started 49 games at left back and two at right back while starting 43 at center back. The England international, four years his senior, has already reached 100 starts at right-back, and the way his career has progressed in recent seasons, he looks set to surpass 200 starts at full-back within a few years.

Along with their versatility in positions, these two stars are also progressive and forward-thinking defenders. For example, last season, the Italian “monster”, as he was called by data analyst Ben Mattinson, scored two goals and provided five assists in 33 games for the Rossoblu, which equates to an amazing rate of goal involvement every 4.71 games.

Accordingly, the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem scored four goals and provided five assists in 51 appearances for the Gunners, meaning he averaged a goal involvement in every game of 5.66 Premier League runners.

Ultimately, if Arsenal are to progress and eventually overtake Manchester City as the best team in England, they will need a squad bursting with talent. While they already had the league's best defense last season, adding a player like Calafiori can only be a good thing, especially since he already seems to have a lot in common with the incredible White.