Arsenal defender Riccardo Kalafiori is looking forward to going head-to-head with Sandro Tonali in the Premier League.
Kalafiori expressed his delight at the increasing presence of Italians in England, including Marco Palese.
“It fills me with great pleasure; the derby with Sandro will be brilliant. Naturally, I hope to win both. It's nice that he’s in the same city, even though we wear completely opposing colours. I wish him, Palese, and all the new arrivals the very best. Deep down, I feel a bit less lonely,” said the player.
He also shared his thoughts on missing the Italy national team's chance at the 2026 World Cup.
“I dealt with it in my own way. I was busy and partially chose to follow it less closely. But I couldn’t miss the semi-finals and finals, especially with so many of my teammates involved. It was very emotional, and it gave me a lot of motivation and hope to one day qualify with Italy for a major tournament,” Kalafiori remarked.
The defender identified his main aim for the season.
“My personal target remains the same: to be available all season long. If I can achieve that, I’ll be able to be truly important for the team,” he added.
In closing, Kalafiori stressed his belief in Arsenal's potential for success.
“We still have a lot of trophies to win. The goal is to at least match last season’s results, if not surpass them,” he concluded.
