Riccardo Calafiori insists he was always 'convinced' to join Arsenal despite two months of conversations with manager and reveals key attribute he will bring to Gunners

Riccardo Calafiori boldly proclaimed he has joined Arsenal to win trophies after attending their game against Crystal Palace in January.

The 22-year-old Bologna defender signed a five-year contract with Arsenal, worth around £42million, and joined the squad in Philadelphia on Monday.

He said: ‘I spoke for almost two months with the coach (Mikel Arteta) and Edu. They tried to convince me but I was already really convinced to come here. 

'For me it’s the best project that I can have to improve as a player. That’s it.

‘I want to improve, to win trophies. It’s the best project for me because the team is young, the team is strong, it’s really good.’

On what he can add to Arsenal to help them win the Premier League, he added: ‘Maybe my mentality. I like to win. Starting with training. I want to give this to the team.

‘Also I’m confident with the ball and I like to play. So this is the perfect choice.’ Arteta was left very pleased by a signing he has been so keen to seal.

Arteta said: ‘When I spoke to him one or two times, I wasn’t sure if we could do it or not. 

‘He was adamant, “Let me know when you’re ready, my bags are packed and I just want to join Arsenal”. Those were his words.

‘When you have someone with that willingness and that passion to join and make us better and that determination, it’s really powerful. As a club we should be really proud of that.’