“Arsenal should play Calafiori with Gabriel instead of William Saliba. He has a very good left foot.”
The debate over Riccardo Calafiori Arsenal centre back credentials has intensified following a turbulent period for Mikel Arteta’s side. After crashing out of both domestic cup competitions in the space of a fortnight, questions are mounting about whether the Gunners need to shake up their defensive hierarchy.
And now, one of Italy’s most decorated defenders has weighed in with a provocative suggestion that could reshape how we think about Arsenal’s backline.
Marco Materazzi Makes His Case for Riccardo Calafiori at Arsenal
World Cup winner Marco Materazzi rarely minces words. The former Inter Milan enforcer, who famously clashed with Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 final, has urged Arteta to rethink his centre back pairing entirely.
Speaking to Hajper, Materazzi declared that Calafiori should partner Gabriel Magalhães at the heart of defence, displacing the widely celebrated William Saliba in the process.
“I think Riccardo Calafiori is one of the best Italian defenders right now,” Materazzi said. “He grew very fast when he was at Bologna. Now Arsenal must believe in him.”
This is not just idle chatter from a former player looking for attention. Materazzi won everything there is to win in football, and his tactical understanding of defensive play remains razor sharp.
“For me, Calafiori is best at centre back. Arsenal should play Calafiori with Gabriel instead of William Saliba. He has a very good left foot.”
The left foot comment is particularly significant. In modern football, having a ball playing centre back on the left side who can execute switches of play and thread passes into midfield is invaluable. It is something that Arsenal under Arteta have prioritised relentlessly.
What This Means For You:
If Materazzi’s suggestion gains traction, we could see a fundamental restructuring of Arsenal’s defensive approach. For fantasy football managers and tactical enthusiasts alike, monitoring Calafiori’s playing time becomes essential viewing.
The £42 Million Investment Deserves More Minutes
Arsenal paid approximately £42 million to secure Calafiori from Bologna last summer. That is serious money for a player who has predominantly featured as a rotation option rather than a guaranteed starter.
The 22 year old Italian international impressed scouts across Europe during Bologna’s remarkable Champions League qualification campaign. His composure on the ball, progressive passing range, and ability to step into midfield with the ball made him one of Serie A’s most coveted defenders.
Yet since arriving at the Emirates Stadium, Calafiori has found himself behind both Saliba and Gabriel in the pecking order. Injuries have not helped his cause, but even when fit, Arteta has shown a reluctance to disrupt what has been a formidable partnership.
According to BBC Sport, Arsenal’s defensive record with Saliba and Gabriel together ranks among the best in Premier League history over the past two seasons. That kind of data makes any manager hesitant to tinker.
But here is the thing. Football is not static. Partnerships evolve, injuries happen, and form fluctuates. The smartest managers prepare for change rather than reacting to it.
Why the Timing Could Not Be Worse for Arsenal
The Gunners are navigating choppy waters right now. A Carabao Cup final defeat to a Manchester City side that refuses to fade away was painful enough. Following that disappointment with an FA Cup exit against Championship outfit Southampton borders on catastrophic.
Southampton. A team battling relegation from the second tier knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup. Let that sink in for a moment.
I have covered enough football to recognise when a club’s mentality is being tested. This is one of those moments for Arsenal. The questions will intensify. The pressure on Arteta will grow. And decisions that seemed settled may suddenly become open for debate.
Gabriel’s knee injury against Southampton adds another layer of concern. Arteta’s post match comments suggested the prognosis might not be encouraging, which could force Calafiori into the starting lineup regardless of philosophical debates.
What This Means For You:
Arsenal fans should prepare for squad rotation to become a necessity rather than a choice. Gabriel’s injury status will be the most important team news to follow over the coming days.
The Case for William Saliba Remains Compelling
Before we get carried away with Materazzi’s recommendation, let us acknowledge the obvious. William Saliba has been sensational for Arsenal.
The Frenchman, still just 23 years old, has established himself as one of the Premier League’s elite defenders. His reading of the game, recovery pace, and aerial dominance make him virtually undroppable on current form.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has gone as far as crowning Saliba the heir apparent to Virgil van Dijk’s throne as the world’s best defender.
“I think he is going to be the best defender in the world,” Ferdinand said in a conversation reported by Sky Sports. “Saliba will be the best defender in the world when Virgil van Dijk gives up that post.”
That is high praise from someone who knows a thing or two about elite defending. Ferdinand won six Premier League titles and a Champions League playing at the back. His endorsement carries genuine weight.
The statistical evidence supports Ferdinand’s assessment too. Saliba’s ball progression numbers, duel success rates, and defensive interventions place him in the upper echelon of centre backs across all five major European leagues.
So why would you bench someone with those credentials?
The Riccardo Calafiori Arsenal Centre Back Debate Comes Down to System
This is where tactical nuance enters the conversation. Arteta’s system demands specific attributes from his centre backs that go beyond traditional defending.
The Arsenal manager wants his central defenders to be comfortable receiving the ball under pressure, capable of splitting opposition lines with vertical passes, and willing to step forward into midfield zones during build up play.
Calafiori excels in all these areas. His time at Bologna saw him play as an inverted full back, drifting inside to form a midfield triangle while his team had possession. That kind of positional intelligence translates directly to Arteta’s vision.
There is also the left foot advantage that Materazzi highlighted. While Gabriel is left footed, having Calafiori on that side would create different passing angles and options during Arsenal’s patient possession sequences.
The Guardian recently analysed how Arsenal’s build up play has become slightly predictable in big matches. Adding Calafiori’s progressive dribbling ability could inject the unpredictability that Arteta’s team occasionally lacks.
Gabriel’s Ballon d’Or Chances and Why It Matters
Materazzi also offered an intriguing assessment of Gabriel’s potential to win individual honours.
“If Gabriel keeps scoring goals and wins some trophies for Arsenal too then why not?” the Italian suggested when asked about Ballon d’Or possibilities.
It sounds fanciful at first. A centre back winning the Ballon d’Or seems almost impossible in the modern era dominated by attacking players and astronomical goal tallies.
But Materazzi’s former national teammate Fabio Cannavaro did exactly that in 2006, proving that exceptional defensive performances on the biggest stages can still capture global imagination.
Gabriel has already demonstrated a knack for crucial goals from set pieces. His aerial presence makes him a genuine threat from corners and free kicks, which adds an offensive dimension to his defensive excellence.
Of course, winning trophies is the prerequisite. Arsenal’s recent trophy drought, extending to the FA Cup triumph in 2020 under Arteta, needs to end before any individual awards conversation becomes realistic.
What This Means For You:
The intersection between team success and individual recognition means Arsenal fans should view Gabriel’s goal contributions as strategically important, not just bonuses. Every header he converts from a set piece could prove decisive.
What Arteta Should Actually Do
Here is my honest assessment after weighing all the evidence.
Arteta should not drop Saliba when everyone is fit and firing. The Frenchman’s performances warrant his place, and disrupting a partnership that has functioned at elite levels invites unnecessary risk.
However, the manager should absolutely be planning for scenarios where Calafiori becomes central to the first eleven. Whether through injury rotation like the current Gabriel situation, suspension, or form dips, that moment will arrive.
When it does, Arsenal need Calafiori ready to perform at the highest level without a prolonged adjustment period. That means giving him meaningful minutes now, even if it requires creative squad management.
The fixture schedule offers opportunities. League Cup runs are no longer possible, and the FA Cup exit eliminates that pathway too. But Premier League rotation and Champions League matches provide chances to integrate Calafiori more thoroughly.
UEFA’s official website shows Arsenal have crucial knockout matches approaching. Managing the defensive personnel across these high stakes games demands flexibility.
The Bigger Picture for Arsenal’s Title Hopes
Let us zoom out for a moment. Arsenal’s primary objective remains catching Manchester City in the Premier League title race and progressing deep into European competition.
Achieving either goal requires a squad capable of handling multiple matches per week across demanding competitions. Relying on the same eleven players week after week invites burnout and injury risk.
The clubs that win major honours in modern football utilise their squads intelligently. Liverpool’s quadruple chase in 2022 saw Jurgen Klopp rotate his squad with precision, trusting his depth to maintain quality across different competitions.
Arsenal have invested heavily in their squad. Calafiori’s £42 million price tag represents a commitment to building that kind of depth. Not using that investment would be questionable decision making.
ESPN analysis of Arsenal’s injury record this season shows they have been fortunate compared to previous campaigns. That luck may not hold indefinitely, making squad depth an insurance policy worth utilising proactively.
Final Thoughts on the Calafiori Conversation
Marco Materazzi has thrown a grenade into Arsenal’s selection debates with his endorsement of Calafiori. Whether Arteta heeds the advice remains to be seen, but the conversation itself is valuable.
The best managers remain open to evolving their approaches based on personnel and circumstances. Blindly sticking with the same combinations regardless of context leads to stagnation and predictability.
Calafiori deserves opportunities to prove his worth in the Premier League. His talent is evident, his potential enormous, and his attributes perfectly suited to what Arteta demands from his defenders.
Whether that means starting ahead of Saliba or forming a new partnership with the Frenchman in Gabriel’s absence, the Italian international’s moment is approaching.
For Arsenal supporters, the coming weeks will reveal whether Arteta possesses the flexibility to adapt when circumstances demand change. The cup exits have shown what happens when plans fail. Now we discover how the manager responds.