Breaking: Arsenal complete Jakub Kiwior transfer with £21m Spezia deal

Arsenal have confirmed their second January signing with the transfer of Jakub Kiwior from Spezia for a fee in the region of £21million.

The Polish international will cost an initial price of £17.5 million, with a further £3.5 million in add-ons possible.
His deal will last until 2027, with a one-year extension option.

Kiwior is Arsenal’s second January acquisition, following Leandro Trossard, who joined the north London club on Friday for a cost of £21 million plus add-ons.
Mikel Arteta was looking to add a left-footed centre-back to his team after Pablo Mari left, leaving him with Gabriel Magalhaes as his sole option.

The Gunners presently lead the Premier League table, five points ahead of Manchester City, despite having played one game fewer than their title rivals.
One of the key reasons for their outstanding run of form has been their solid defense, which has conceded only 16 goals in 19 league games, the division’s second-best record.

Given Arsenal’s first-choice center-halves, signing Kiwior makes perfect sense.
Gabriel and William Saliba have started all 19 league games this season, which could lead to weariness in the latter stages of the season.
The 22-year-old, who started all four of Poland’s World Cup games, can also play left back and hold midfield.

During the first half of Spezia’s 2022/23 season, the outstanding defender appeared in 17 Serie A matches, averaging 1.62 blocks, 1.5 interceptions, and 1.37 tackles per 90 minutes.