Transfer Centre

Arsenal 'rule out Jakub Kiwior sale amid AC Milan, Roma links'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 15 November 2023

Arsenal reportedly have no intention of selling or loaning out Polish defender Jakub Kiwior, who is on the radar of Serie A giants Roma and AC Milan.

Arsenal reportedly have no intention of letting Polish centre-back Jakub Kiwior leave the club amid links with Roma and AC Milan.

The Gunners bolstered their defence midway through the 2022-23 season with the acquisition of the Poland international, who arrived at the Emirates in a €25m (£21.8m) deal in January.

Kiwior joined as a backup to Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, and he ended his first half-season at the club with nine appearances in all competitions, including five successive Premier League starts during Saliba's absence through injury.

Kiwior - who has also been deployed as a left-back in North London - scored his first goal for the club in a 5-0 final-day beating of Wolverhampton Wanderers, and his opportunities for starts would seemingly improve after Rob Holding departed for Crystal Palace.

The 23-year-old has already featured eight times for Mikel Arteta's team this season, but he remains a rotation player and has only started two Premier League games and two EFL Cup matches so far.

Poland's Jakub Kiwior celebrates scoring their first goal before it is disallowed on September 10, 2023 © Reuters

Kiwior was also left on the bench during Arsenal's Community Shield success over Manchester City in August, and he has been brought on as a substitute in successive Champions League wins over Sevilla.

The defender's lack of starts has led to suggestions that he could be tempted back to Serie A, with Roma and Milan understood to be keen on a swoop either in January or at the end of the season.

Milan are working around the absence of the injured Pierre Kalulu for approximately four months, and according to Calciomercato, the Rossoneri and Roma have shown interest in a loan deal.

However, the report states that Arsenal consider Kiwior "untransferable", and the Premier League giants are not prepared to entertain any temporary or permanent offers for the defender at this juncture.

Upon his arrival at the Emirates in January, Kiwior penned a five-and-a-half year contract with Arsenal until the summer of 2028, meaning that the Gunners are well-placed to demand a large fee for his services.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pictured before the match on November 8, 2023 © Reuters

The Gunners still believe that the Poland international has an important role to play in the coming years, though, and his exit would leave Gabriel and Saliba short of cover in the heart of defence.

New signing Jurrien Timber is fighting to return from an ACL problem before the end of the season, while Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are competent centrally but have thrived as full-backs in red and white.

As a result, Kiwior would likely be first choice to step in for Gabriel or Saliba should either man sustain an injury, unless Arteta promoted highly-rated academy defender Reuell Walters to the first team.

Kiwior is currently with the Poland squad preparing for Friday's Euro 2024 qualifier with the Czech Republic - where his nation need to win to remain in with a chance of a top-two finish - and next Tuesday's friendly versus Latvia.

Meanwhile, Arsenal - who sit third in the Premier League table - have another 10 days to prepare for the resumption of Premier League football at home to Brentford on November 25.