Video: Why Calafiori could solve Arsenal’s striker shortage | OneFootball

Arsenal were still victorious over the weekend despite an injury crisis among their attacking options, and even though midfielder Mikel Merino scored twice as a makeshift striker against Leicester City, there have been some suggestions that Italy international Riccardo Calafiori could feature up front for the Gunners in the future.

Arsenal do not have a fit and available centre-forward in their senior squad as things stand, and with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus all out, there was a makeshift forward line for the 2-0 win over Leicester City at the weekend.

It was Leandro Trossard who started through the middle for Arsenal against Leicester, but Merino came on in the second half and scored his first Premier League brace on his first ever appearance as a centre-forward.

Before kick-off, Arsenal legend Martin Keown asked Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta whether Calafiori could be an option for the centre-forward role in the future, which the coach did not rule out.

Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal celebrates at full-time following the team’s victory in the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Arsenal FC at Molineux on January 25, 2025 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Arteta also confirmed after full-time that Arsenal will need to rely on multiple players to get them through their centre-forward crisis.

“We’re going to have to share that (role), we know that,” Arteta said during his post-match press conference.

“We’re going to have various contexts; sometimes we’re going to have to make a sub because a player isn’t performing, or because the opposition is doing something else, or because someone’s a yellow card, or it’s fatigue, that’s going to restrict what we do really in terms of the personnel. We have prepared for different scenarios.”

Can Calafiori play up front for Arsenal?

One of Calafiori’s advantages is his positional versatility. A centre-back for Bologna, and now most regularly deployed as a left-back for Arsenal, he has earned plenty of praise for his ball carrying, and is not afraid to travel through the midfield with the ball.

He has shown an eye for goal, too, with a goal of the month-nominated strike in the 2-2 draw away against Manchester City on his debut at the start of the season, and more recently with the winner in a 1-0 Premier League victory over Wolves.

He also provided the assist for Mattia Zaccagni’s late equaliser for the Italy national team in a 1-1 draw with Croatia at EURO 2024, which ended up being the goal that sent the Azzurri through to the Round of 16.

Italy’s defender #05 Riccardo Calafiori (C) and Italy’s midfielder #18 Nicolo Barella (L) celebrate a late goal from Italy’s forward #20 Mattia Zaccagni (not pictured) during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group B football match between the Croatia and Italy at the Leipzig Stadium in Leipzig on June 24, 2024. (Photo by Christophe SIMON / AFP) (Photo by CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images)

Before that tournament, Italy national team head coach Luciano Spalletti had also tested Calafiori in a no.10 role in some of his training drills, as Football Italia witnessed at Coverciano.

Calafiori ended up playing all of his games at the tournament in the back-line, but his coaches from both club and country certainly seem to think that he is capable of playing in a more advanced role.