Roma are weighing up a move for Arsenal centre-back Jakub Kiwior.
According to Italian publication Calciomercato, Roma are considering making a move for Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior.
Kiwior arrived at the Emirates Stadium in the last January transfer window, signing from Spezia in a deal worth £20 million. However, such is the strength of the established partnership between William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, opportunities at the north London club have been hard to come by for Kiwior.
When Mikel Arteta has found the chance to play the 23-year-old, though, he has generally impressed. Kiwior has even managed to fill in as a reliable back-up left-back option when required.
With Rob Holding now having left the club, and Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu both preferred in full-back roles, Kiwior is essentially the first choice back-up centre-back option – certainly to fellow left-footer Gabriel.
As such, the 17-cap Poland international fulfils a vital function in the squad and has made eight appearances across all competitions so far this season, albeit only four of those outings have come as a member of the starting XI.
Mikel Arteta must take action to keep Jakub Kiwior happy
Arteta certainly sees a great deal of potential in the former Spezia man. As quoted by Sky Sports, the Spanish coach has previously said of Kiwior, “he has the potential, at his age, to be great.”
Arsenal have had to fight to keep Kiwior at the club before now. If Arteta remains as determined to keep the young centre-back at his disposal, then it seems the Gunners will have to fend off advances from elsewhere again.
This issue highlights the challenge that the Arsenal manager currently faces in terms of keeping every member of his large squad happy with their level of involvement. This is a difficult balance to strike, necessitating regular rotation, without sacrificing consistency and fluency on the pitch.
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