Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior has been at the club for close to two-and-a-half years now.
The Gunners signed the Poland international in January 2023, paying Italian club Spezia £20million for his services.
Kiwior has been a squad option much of his time at Arsenal, but he is now getting an extended run due to Gabriel Magalhaes’ injury.
Mikel Arteta has now shared how Kiwior has developed throughout his time at Arsenal and what his teammates think about him.
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Mikel Arteta says Jakub Kiwior is popular in Arsenal dressing room
Arsenal are next in action on Saturday evening when they take on Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Arteta, speaking to reporters ahead of the game, was asked about Jakub Kiwior in the context of his character.
At previous clubs, Kiwior was deemed a quiet and sometimes introverted character.
However, Arteta said this wasn’t the case at Arsenal any more, saying he’s a vocal and popular figure in the dressing room.
“He’s so likeable,” Arteta said, as per football.london. “Everybody really loves him in that dressing room. He’s very vocal on the pitch.
“He obviously had a language barrier at the beginning when he joined us.
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Yellow cards | Red cards | Minutes |
| Premier League | 13 | 1 | – | – | – | 757′ |
| Champions League | 9 | – | – | 1 | – | 681′ |
| EFL Cup | 3 | – | 2 | – | – | 267′ |
| FA Cup | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 25 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | 1.705′ |
“Now he’s much more open with the boys, and he gets on really well with everybody. So I’m very happy with him.”
David Raya recently said Kiwior has been unbelievable in training recently.
Meanwhile, Ian Wright said Kiwior proved him wrong with his efforts against Real Madrid.
Could Arsenal sell Jakub Kiwior this summer?
It’s great to hear that Kiwior has come out of his shell at Arsenal and that colleagues love him.
However, with the summer transfer window now on the horizon, speculation has emerged over his future due to the fact he’s not a regular starter aside from injuries.
TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has confirmed that Kiwior wants to leave Arsenal this summer regardless of what happens before the end of the season.
It’s understood that Kiwior appreciates his role under Arteta and how he has progressed since joining.
However, Kiwior knows that, unless William Saliba or Gabriel leave, he is not going to be starting in his favoured central role anytime soon.
A return to Serie A could be on the cards, with Inter Milan, Juventus, Napoli and Bologna are all keen.
