Jakub Kiwior tells touching story of how one Arsenal teammate helped him settle

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Jakub Kiwior has opened up about how Oleksandr Zinchenko helped him to settle at Arsenal.

Arsenal paid £20 million to sign Jakub Kiwior from Serie A side Spezia in the last January transfer window. 

The 23-year-old Polish defender had never plied his trade in England before, so the transition to life in north London will surely have been a daunting one.

Former Arsenal star Rob Holding has previously spoken out publicly about Kiwior’s shy personality. 

However, the 19-cap Poland international now looks to have settled into life at the Emirates Stadium.

He has a vital role to play in Mikel Arteta’s squad, providing cover for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes in the heart of the rearguard, and for Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back. With Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber now sidelined with injuries, Kiwior is set to enjoy plenty of game time in some crucial matches in the coming weeks. 

Having now been at the club for almost a full year, this is the time for him to step up and show that he can impress on a consistent basis when he is needed most. 

How did Oleksandr Zinchenko welcome Jakub Kiwior to Arsenal?

Looking back on his arrival at the club, Kiwior has credited Zinchenko with a key role in helping him to feel welcome. As quoted by the club’s official website, Kiwior said, “what was really good for me was when Alex Zinchenko introduced me to the whole squad on my first day here. It was funny because I was at Emirates Stadium to watch us play Manchester United the day before I was due to go to the training ground to sign.”

“After the game, Zinchenko was down by the pitch waiting to do interviews, and he saw me there. So he introduced himself and said, ‘Welcome to Arsenal, have you met the boys yet?’ I told him I hadn’t, so he took me into the dressing room and introduced me to everyone.”

“This was just after we had won a huge match! He made it great for me, because of course I was nervous about meeting everyone, but he made it easy. He went around and made sure I chatted to everyone. It was a big help. The whole group was really open and friendly.”

What next for the defender?

In recent weeks there have been rumours that Kiwior could already be on the verge of leaving Arsenal. AC Milan are said to hold a keen interest in securing his services.

However, Arteta is believed to be determined to keep Kiwior. Certainly, given the current dearth of defensive options at his disposal, now is not the time to consider sanctioning his exit. 

What’s more, Kiwior has a lot of quality, and plenty of potential. He is a reliable defender, excellent on the ball with an impressive range of passing, and can be aerially dominant in both boxes. There ought to be much more to come from him in the second half of this season.