News Focus
- AS Roma will receive €6 million from Riccardo Calafiori’s transfer to Arsenal
- The payment settles a two-year dispute with FC Basel over a sell-on clause
- Roma must raise €50-60 million by June to meet Financial Fair Play rules
- The Italian club sold Calafiori to Basel in 2022 with a 40% future profit clause
- Roma may still need to sell key players like Evan Ndicka or Manu Koné
Italian club AS Roma are close to securing a €6 million windfall from Riccardo Calafiori’s recent move to Arsenal. The money comes from a settlement with Swiss side FC Basel over a complicated sell-on agreement that dates back to 2022.
Calafiori was born in Rome and learned his trade in the AS Roma youth academy. The defender found first-team chances limited under former manager José Mourinho. In the summer of 2022, sporting director Tiago Pinto sold the young Italian to Basel for just €2.5 million. However, the deal included an important clause. Roma kept a 40% stake in any future profit that Basel would make from the player.
The centre-back spent only one season in Switzerland before Bologna signed him for €4 million. That transfer earned Roma an extra €1.6 million. But problems started when Calafiori moved again. Last summer, Arsenal paid roughly €45 million plus bonuses to sign the Italy international.
Basel held a 50% sell-on clause with Bologna. This meant they received about €22.5 million from the Arsenal deal. Roma argued they deserved 40% of that Basel profit too. The Giallorossi claimed their original contract covered all future sales, not just the next one. They calculated they were owed about €9 million in total.
Now, after lengthy talks, the two clubs have reached a deal. Roma will accept €6 million to end the fight. This cash arrives at a critical time. The Serie A side must generate between €50 million and €60 million before the end of June. This deadline comes from a Financial Fair Play settlement they made with UEFA.
Roma have already raised money from other sales. They banked €2 million when Saud Abdulhamid joined Lens on a permanent deal. They also earned €3 million from Buba Sangaré’s transfer to Elche. Despite this income, the club might still need to sell important first-team stars. Reports suggest that defender Evan Ndicka or midfielder Manu Koné could leave to help balance the books.