Arsenal and Chelsea were both linked with Riccardo Calafiori who impressed for Bologna last season, as the Serie A side qualified for the Champions League for the first time.

Arsenal eventually won the race for Calafiori, as they spent over £40m to bring the 22-year-old to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has however mocked Chelsea’s interest, claiming that Calafiori only ever wanted to join Arsenal.

“I spoke to him one or two times and I knew the other things [teams being interested],” Arteta said after Calafiori signed for Arsenal.

“I wasn’t really sure if we could do it or not, but he was adamant: ‘let me know when you’re ready, my bags are ready and I just want to come to Arsenal’.

“Those were his words and when you have that feeling, someone with that willingness to join us and make us better and that determination, it’s something really powerful and as a club, we should be really proud of that.

“I’m very happy. It took a while – it was a player that we have monitored for a year. We were really short in the backline last year in terms of numbers and we demanded so much from them.

“William Saliba, for example, played in every minute of the Premier League and we believe we had to be more protected.

“We identified him as a talent that can give us skill and qualities that are going to make us better. We are signing a player with a huge capacity to develop.”