Arsenal could be set to let go of several players in and around the first team as Mikel Arteta aims to improve the depth of his squad.
The Gunners fell just short of Manchester City in the title race, and a lack of rotation may have played its part, with Pep Guardiola choosing to shuffle his pack more than Arteta over the course of the season.
One position Arsenal did consistently rotate in was at left-back, but not necessarily by choice. Injury problems suffered by Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber meant that Jakub Kiwior earned an extended run in the side.
Although predominantly a centre-back, Kiwior did impress at times as Arsenal went on a remarkable winning run in the Premier League, but he would soon be exposed in European competition as he was torn apart against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and he subsequently lost his place to Tomiyasu.
HITC Football transfer expert Graeme Bailey has now exclusively told Arsenal Insider that Kiwior could end up making a surprise exit this summer, just 18 months after he arrived from Spezia.
Jakub Kiwior could leave Arsenal to return to Serie A this summer
Bailey has now revealed that Kiwior’s previous attachment to Serie A, as well as the lack of pathway to more game time, could see him make a somewhat unexpected departure from Arsenal.
“Kiwior’s done well, but I don’t think he’s settled that well. I think his heart is in Italy. The likes of Milan want him, some big clubs want him there. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kiwior goes back there, purely because the size of clubs who want him. He loves playing in Italy,” Bailey explained.
“It’s not that Kiwior isn’t good enough, he’s a player who Arsenal like a lot. But I don’t think he’s in the mood to serve as a third-choice left-back at the moment.
“He’s probably progressed into first-team material quicker than Arsenal thought. Is he quite ready to challenge Gabriel yet? Probably not, but if the opportunity is there to go and play regularly for someone like AC Milan, it will be hard to convince him to stay.”
What did Arsenal have planned when they signed Jakub Kiwior?
Kiwior arrived out of the blue in January 2023, but did not initially feature much despite a key injury to William Saliba which ultimately derailed Arsenal in the title race.
He was linked with a move to AC Milan in January, after struggling for minutes in the first half of the campaign, but his increased game time from February until April saw him play a big role in the title challenge, and become a more prominent member of the first-team.
Arsenal may have envisaged Kiwior slowly developing into a long-term centre-back option to provide cover for Gabriel Magalhaes, as well as someone who could also play on the left in an emergency, and he may have accepted this role before. However, he may now expect to appear more next season, and this is unlikely to happen.
Arteta may not have planned for Kiwior to start on the left against opponents as tough as Bayern. His inability to play an inverted role meant that Ben White had to do so on the other side for a sustained period.
Kiwior’s struggles against Leroy Sane felt like a turning point for him, as his run in the team came to an end. With Arsenal potentially targeting a new left-back such as Jorrel Hato or Ferdi Kadioglu, it seems likely that Kiwior will be the one to make way, as he will get to play regularly and Arsenal should receive a substantial fee for someone who will have limited opportunities next season.