According to Sky Sports, Arsenal have reportedly acquired the signature of Jakub Kiwior from Spezia in a deal worth £20 million to bolster their squad for the remainder of this season. The Gunners are currently leading the Premier League table with a five-point lead above Manchester City and Arteta had done well to identify him as a defensive reinforcement to strengthen the backline in the title run.
On finalising his deal to North London, Kiwior said:
Kiwior’s Impressive Rise In Serie A
Kiwior has had a brilliant campaign with the Italian outfit so far as he has produced several dominant displays in their defensive third. He hasn’t been productive in the final third but has racked up nineteen appearances being the defensive powerhouse for Spezia in Serie A.
The Polish defender deserves a lot of credit for being reliable and consistent in the backline after averaging 1.3 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 4.0 clearances per game in the Italian top flight. He has also been efficient with his ball distribution after completing 85.3% of his attempted passes in the Italian first division (stats via whoscored).
The Arsenal family continues to grow 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/ka6K70Sw8k
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 23, 2023
What Will He Bring To Arsenal?
Kiwior is a solid tackler of the ball and can make some crucial interceptions to earn the ball back for his team on the defensive third of the pitch. He often clears the danger when the opposition attackers are on the front foot. Kiwior is primarily a central defender but can also fill in as a left-back if his manager asks him to do so.
The Spezia defender can even play his way out from the back as he remains efficient in distributing possession to his teammates. We can expect Kiwior to enhance the quality of Mikel Arteta‘s defensive department and he could help the Gunners challenge for some top honours over the next few years.
At 22, he has a lot of room to improve his skills which makes him a good option for the North London club. He will bring a lot of bite and steel to Arsenal’s backline and could serve as an ideal backup to Gabriel Magalhaes. He has signed a four-and-a-half deal with the option of a further year at the Emirates Stadium, making him the second signing for the Gunners in this transfer window.
