Declan Rice sends message to Riccardo Calafiori as ‘Arsenal exit decision looms’
Declan Rice sent a personal message to Riccardo Calafiori on social media as rumours swirl around the latter’s future at Arsenal.
Having been knocked out of the Champions League and with Liverpool already crowned Premier League champions, Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta will now be looking ahead to the summer transfer window.
With many changes expected to the current squad, with the Gunners still yet to lift silverware since the 2019 FA Cup title, Mick Brown told Football Insider that Arsenal are set to decide on Calafiori’s future.
The 22-year-old defender has made just 28 appearances across all competitions since arriving in North London last summer, missing several games through injury, much to the frustration of fans.
Now, the Italian international could already be set to leave if the Gunners receive a similar fee for him, with Serie A clubs interested ahead of the summer, including AC Milan.
Arsenal star not ready to lose Riccardo Calafiori
Taking to Instagram stories (14 May), Rice shared an image of the pair at the Emirates Stadium, simply captioned with a love heart and crossed fingers, clearly showing a bond between the two.
The midfielder is clearly standing strong with his teammate despite the rumours circulating over his early exit ahead of the summer transfer window.
Mikel Arteta to rebuild Arsenal squad ahead of 2025/26 campaign
Football Insider verdict
Arteta is not the only figure under pressure at Arsenal, with frustrated fans wanting Martin Odegaard stripped of his captaincy, Raheem Sterling to be sent back early, and Gabriel Jesus sold.
While several current players have been linked with exits, it is the incomings that fans are the most concerned about after missing an out-and-out striker for much of the 2024/25 campaign.
| Manager | Games | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
| Mikel Arteta | 287 | 170 | 50 | 67 | 59.2 |
Football Insider understands that Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres is now Arsenal’s top target heading into the summer, much to the excitement of fans at the Emirates.
Mikel Merino has certainly worked as a makeshift centre-forward, scoring nine goals in all competitions this season, but he is not a long-term fix for the Gunners’ issues in the final third.
Had a real striker been signed during the winter transfer window, Arteta might have been just one game away from lifting the Champions League trophy in Munich, Germany.