What Arteta really thinks of Jakub Kiwior revealed as Chelsea and two other PL clubs target Arsenal ace
There was speculation surrounding the future of Jakub Kiwior at Arsenal this summer.
Arsenal invested in their defence this summer, with Riccardo Calafiori arriving at the Emirates Stadium.
The Italian’s arrival has likely pushed Jakub Kiwior further down the pecking order in Mikel Arteta’s plans.
The Poland international was not included in the matchday squad for the Gunners’ first Premier League match of the season and has not been handed significant game time so far.
Serie A clubs were linked with Kiwior over the course of the summer, and the defender is familiar with the top flight of Italian football having plied his trade for Spezia prior to joining Arsenal.
However, this interest was never formalised, and whilst Kiwior would be open to a move back to Italy, the 24-year-old was not desperate to leave Arsenal in the most recent window.
Mikel Arteta’s stance on Jakub Kiwior amid Premier League interest
Transfer expert Graeme Bailey, speaking exclusively to Arsenal Insider, has now revealed how Kiwior is thought of by Arteta and the Gunners’ hierarchy.
He said: “Arteta rates him very highly, which is part of the reason he stayed. Arsenal did imagine that Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko might go before Kiwior this summer, but obviously Premier League wages are a thing that not everyone can get near.”
However, he also noted that there are potential exit routes available to the player should he decide to pursue a regular starting berth elsewhere: “He had a host of interest, admittedly.
“He’s highly respected at Arsenal and the rest of the Premier League is catching up to what a talent he is. Nearly half of Serie A were keen on him. I understand that Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Brighton are also keeping tabs on him.
“If he doesn’t get the game time, I think he will leave.”
What next for Kiwior at Arsenal?
It could well be the case that Kiwior pushes for an exit in the upcoming January transfer window, should he find that he has been restricted to a bit-part role at Arsenal between now and then.
Given the existing Premier League interest in his services, though, sporting director Edu Gaspar will hope to extract a hefty fee in exchange for the 27-cap Poland star’s services.
In the meantime, though, Kiwior seems up for the challenge of fighting for a place at Arsenal.
Despite being a centre-back by trade, he is firmly behind William Saliba and Gabriel Magalahes in that part of the pitch, and has more commonly been used by Arteta as a left-back. Even in that position, though, he will have the competition provided by the likes of Calafiori, Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Jurrien Timber to contend with.