{"id":12702,"date":"2025-03-18T16:17:17","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T17:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/?p=12702"},"modified":"2025-03-18T18:37:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T18:37:53","slug":"arsenal-defender-says-he-wants-to-learn-to-play-in-midfield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/18\/arsenal-defender-says-he-wants-to-learn-to-play-in-midfield\/","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal defender says he wants to learn to play in midfield"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Arsenal\t<\/div>
Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori would ‘love’ to play in midfield (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Riccardo Calafiori<\/a> says he is ready to play in as many different positions as possible to help Arsenal’s cause and would ‘love’ to learn how to be a midfielder.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a promising start to life in English football on the back of a \u00a342million move from Serie A outfit Bologna to Arsenal<\/a> ahead of the 2024\/25 campaign.<\/p>\n

While injury problems have somewhat hampered his progress in recent months, Calafiori has made 26 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, while chipping in with three goals.<\/p>\n

Calafiori is perhaps unfortunate that his debut season has coincided with the extraordinary rise of Hale End academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly<\/a>, who had made the left-back berth his own this term.<\/p>\n

The Italy international is, though, helped by his versatility, which was a key factor in Arsenal’s pursuit last summer, and has shown a willingness to fill in at centre-back for Mikel Arteta.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\tGet personalised updates on Arsenal everyday\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter. <\/p>\n

Sign up to our newsletter<\/a> and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Calafiori’s playing style and tendency to push forward to become an additional midfielder appears well suited to Arsenal given Arteta’s affection for inverted full-backs.<\/p>\n

However, speaking to Rivista Undici magazine<\/a>, Calafiori revealed his desire to go one step further and learn how to play as an out-and-out midfielder should the opportunity arise.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Arsenal\t<\/div>
Calafiori has made 26 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n\t\t\"Wolverhampton\t<\/div>
Arsenal signed the Italian for a fee of \u00a342m last summer (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

‘There are many things that I still don\u2019t know how to do,’ he said.<\/p>\n

‘I want to keep learning to play in as many different roles as possible. <\/p>\n

‘For now, I know how to play two roles, but have always been passionate about midfielders and would love to learn how to play there.’<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t{“@context”:”https:\/\/schema.org”,”@type”:”VideoObject”,”name”:”Metro.co.uk”,”duration”:”T4M26S”,”thumbnailUrl”:”https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2025\/03\/16\/16\/96249441-0-image-m-618_1742143407441.jpg”,”uploadDate”:”2025-03-16T16:42:51+0000″,”description”:”Press conference with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after his side’s 1-0 win at home to Chelsea.”,”contentUrl”:”https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2025\/03\/16\/5993403349893662607\/480x270_MP4_5993403349893662607.mp4″,”height”:270,”width”:480}<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbrowser that
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsupports HTML5
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t<\/video>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Up Next<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrevious Page<\/title>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__page\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__arrow metro-related-video-carousel__arrow--right disabled\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<title>Next Page<\/title>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-videos-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder\">\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"metro-related-video-carousel__related-video-placeholder-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\twindow.addEventListener(‘metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded’, function(data) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tif (typeof(data.detail) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === ‘undefined’ || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === ‘undefined’) {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar player = data.detail.carousel.el_;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar container = player.closest(‘.metro-video-player’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tvar placeholder = container.querySelector(‘.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.removeChild(placeholder);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tcontainer.classList.add(‘metro-video-player–related-videos-loaded’);<br \/>\n\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Calafiori has been taken aback by Arteta’s meticulous nature since his arrival in north London and counts the Spaniard among his most influential coaches.<\/p>\n<p>‘Thiago Motta first, then Luciano Spalletti and Mikel Arteta all changed me, in terms of my vision, the spaces to occupy, everything,’ he added.<\/p>\n<p>‘I think that there are many defenders with my characteristics out there, who are probably even better than me.<\/p>\n<p>‘But I do a lot of work off the field and perhaps that makes the difference.’<\/p>\n<p>Calafiori views Italy’s 1-0 defeat to Spain at Euro 2024 as a turning point in his career, despite his 55th-minute own goal proving decisive in the group-stage contest.<\/p>\n<p>‘That is the game I hold dearest in my heart and the one I will never forget,’ he explained. <\/p>\n<p>‘It will always be one of my greatest satisfactions, the way I was able to react after that own goal. I think I played even better than I had before.<\/p>\n<p>‘That was like the apex of a journey that had started a while back. The Riccardo of seven or eight months earlier would certainly not have reacted like that.’<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>For more stories like this,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/sport\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/sport\/\">check our sport page<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sportmetro\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Metro_Sport\">Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/metrosportuk\/\">Instagram<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori would ‘love’ to play in midfield (Picture: Getty) Riccardo Calafiori says he is ready to play in as many different positions as possible to help Arsenal’s cause and would ‘love’ to learn how to be a midfielder. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a promising start to life in English football on the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12702"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12702"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12702\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12708,"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12702\/revisions\/12708"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/preforeclosurefortunes.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}