Arsenal are in talks to complete the signing of Jakub Kiwior from Spezia, football.london understands. As a young left-footed defender, Kiwior fits the ideal profile of a Mikel Arteta signing while also providing needed cover for Gabriel Magalhaes.
With attention understandably on Leandro Trossard, the Gunners have somewhat gone under the radar with their next point of business as a deal with Spezia for Kiwior is close to completion. Polish journalist Tomasz Włodarczyk meanwhile has revealed the north London outfit are close to signing Kiwior for a fee of £21.9million on a five-and-a-half-year contract.
The 22-year-old has played 20 games for Spezia this season, but was on the bench for their last outing against Torino. Kiwior attracted a lot of European interest in the summer but made the decision to remain playing for Spezia in Italy in order to guarantee himself a spot in Poland's World Cup squad by playing as much first-team football as possible.
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That decision was justified as Kiwior made the Polish squad in Qatar, starting all four of their matches at the tournament before they were dumped out in the last-16 by France.
The interest from Arsenal has emerged from nowhere and with Kiwior not exactly a household name, not many are aware of his background or attributes as a defender. With that in mind football.london has taken a look at the latest potential recruit for Arteta's side.
Kiwior began his footballing career at GKS Tychy before being poached by Belgian giants Anderlecht, where he spent two years in the youth academy, famed for producing the likes of Vincent Kompany and Romelu Lukaku.
After leaving the academy setup in Anderlecht at 18, Kiwior made 76 appearances in Slovakia playing for FK Zeleziarne Podbrezova and MSK Zilina, scoring five goals and grabbing seven assists from 77 senior appearances (according to Transfermarkt).
During the 2021/22 season, Kiwior earned his first big move, signing for Spezia from MSK Zilina for a fee of £2million. Former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Thiago Motta managed the club at the time and clearly saw something in Kiwior as a midfielder, handing him 21 starts in the role, perhaps showcasing he can also provide adequate depth for Thomas Partey.
Those displays in Slovakia saw West Ham, AC Milan and AS Roma all show an interest in signing the Polish international in the summer transfer window, but he opted to stay at Spezia as he would likely be handed more minutes.
A tactical scout report provided by Total Football Analysis has outlined his best qualities and how the former Anderlecht man has taken his game to the next level at the Italian outfit. After playing much of his career in midfield, he has been playing in a deeper role, on the left of a back three this season.
Kiwior's large frame and long legs hand him a significant advantage in defensive duels but when facing a forward in a 1vs1 situation he is sometimes exposed by opposition players with a low centre of gravity and better agility.
Despite being only 22 he has an impressive understanding of the game and with his on-pitch versatility being made clear this season, he could prove to be a shrewd acquisition by Arteta and Edu.
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