Emile Smith Rowe is finalising his move to Fulham in a deal that will earn Arsenal an initial £27m, plus add-ons that could take that total to £34m [Pedro Soares/SPP]

IT’S been a mixed week for Arsenal supporters as the club ramp up their transfer activity ahead of the new season.

On the pitch, preparations are progressing perfectly with the Gunners coming from behind to beat Manchester United 2-1 in Los Angeles on Sunday. Friendly or not, beating your Premier League rivals is always a welcome boon, especially when it comes via two players in need of goals in the shape of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.

Gooners were still sharing memes and banter with their United counterparts about that victory at the SoFi Stadium when the news broke that the club had finally completed the signing of defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna in a deal reportedly worth £42million.

The 22-year-old, who can play at centre-back or left-back, has agreed a five-year contract with the Gunners until 2029. It will prove a great bit of business if Calafiori gets anywhere near the hype being placed on his shoulders – albeit not as shrewd as the £3.4m that Bologna paid Basel for the Italian international last summer, or as astute as the clause that Basel demanded that will now see the Swiss club earn 50 per cent of Bologna’s profit.

Expressing his excitement at getting to test his mettle in English football, Calafiori said: “It feels amazing. I cannot wait to start to train with the team and play for the fans.

“It’s actually been my dream since I was 12 or 13 years old, because I can see the level of the league here, and the best players in the world, for me, play here. It’s a dream and not only for me, but for everybody.”

Revealing the hard work that was put in behind the scenes to bring him to the Emirates, Calafiori said he held discussions with Mikel Arteta, sporting director Edu and his Azzurri teammate Jorginho. “I spoke a lot with the coach and with Edu, and they convinced me, but I was already convinced by myself,” he added. “I think it’s the best project for me for the next few years, and I think I will improve as a player.

“I just met [Jorginho] one month ago, but I can see that he’s a really good guy. I was already convinced but he forced me. He said ‘come, come, come! You will enjoy being here, the team is amazing and the staff, everything is good,’ – you can see that already from the first few minutes here.”

But as one new player full of promise arrives at Ashburton Grove another departs – one that many Gooners will feel didn’t get a fair crack of the whip. Emile Smith Rowe is finalising his move to Fulham in a deal that will earn Arsenal an initial £27m, plus add-ons that could take that total to £34m.

The Hale End academy product, who joined the Gunners when he was just 10 years old, played a pivotal role in buying an under-pressure Arteta some much-needed time during those troubled early days, putting in performances that would be rewarded with a new contract and Arsenal’s No 10 shirt. But Smith Rowe managed only 346 minutes in the Premier League last season, making just three starts, as he fell further and further down Arteta’s pecking order and through the Emirates exit door.