Merino on ‘wonderful’ Calafiori and request to new Italian Arsenal director

Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino says his teammate Riccardo Calafiori is a ‘really kind guy’ and a ‘wonderful person’ and jokes about a request to Italian director Andrea Berta: ‘I’ll ask for a striker’s contract.’

Merino’s Spain will visit the Netherlands in the Nations League quarter-finals tonight.

The Spanish midfielder spoke about his relationship with Italy international Calafiori in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday.

“Riccardo is a really kind guy, and I get along great with him,” he said.

“He’s a wonderful person, and we have an amazing relationship. At Arsenal, he moves more on the left side, so even in training, we haven’t come up against each other much yet, but it would be a great battle.”

Merino on ‘wonderful’ Calafiori and request to new Italian Arsenal director

Merino has been playing as a false nine in some Arsenal matches over the last few weeks to solve the team’s injury crisis in attack.

The Spaniard scored twice in a 2-0 win over Leicester City in February and was praised by Calafiori on social media after the match.

Calafiori’s Italy will host Germany at San Siro in the Nations League quarter-finals first leg tonight, with the Arsenal defender expected to start in the Azzurri’s three-man defence.

Merino will meet even more Italians at Arsenal in the coming weeks, as Andrea Berta is expected to be named the new Gunners’ sporting director.

“I don’t know if it’s official; anyway, I don’t know anything,” said the midfielder.

“But I do know one thing: I’ll ask for a striker’s contract,” he jokingly added.

“They earn more, and now I have to cover two roles too!”