Mourinho, who worked with Calafiori during his time as Roma manager, wanted the Italy international as a central defender capable of also playing at left-back — a profile that ultimately led Madrid to sign Marc Cucurella from Chelsea and Ibrahima Konaté on a free from Liverpool when Arsenal's resistance became clear. Even after those arrivals, the Madrid manager remained keen on adding the Arsenal defender.
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta have made their position unambiguous: the 24-year-old is not for sale this summer and any hypothetical negotiation would require an offer exceeding €100m — more than double Arsenal's current record sale.
The figure has cooled Madrid's interest significantly, with the club's hierarchy unwilling to commit further major funds to the defensive department having already spent heavily.
Calafiori joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2024 for around £37m and has been one of the Premier League champions' most important players since. He is under contract at the Emirates Stadium until 2029. Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Real Madrid made contact with those close to the player to gauge his interest but described a deal as far from straightforward.
There is some irony to the pursuit: Mourinho approved Calafiori's departure from Roma for just €1.5m in 2022, only for Arsenal to sign him from Bologna two years later for a considerably larger sum.
Calafiori has represented Italy internationally and is one of very few defenders in world football who can credibly play as both a left-footed centre-back and a natural left-back at the highest level — a combination Mourinho has long valued and struggled to find elsewhere in the market this window.