Arsenal signed Poland international Jakub Kiwior in January 2023 for a fee of £16.4m, he has become a depth piece in Mikel Arteta’s defence.
Kiwior, 24, is under contract at Arsenal until June 2028, after he signed a mega five-year contract at the Emirates in 2023.
However, the Poland international could be on his way out, amid reports linking him over a move back to the Serie A. But Arteta believes that he’s a crucial member of his squad due to his versatility and his ability to play across the back line.
The defender has experience in the Serie A, the Premier League, and at the International level. One of Arsenal’s most underrated players, we delve into his life before the Gunners.
Youth career at Anderlecht and success in Slovakia
Kiwior began playing youth football at Polish side GKS Tychy in 2012 at the age of just 12. He then moved to Belgian giants Anderlecht in 2016 aged 16. After that Kiwior’s footballing career began to take off.
He made five appearances for Andelecht’s U19s team after a period of development at the Belgian club, before moving to Slovakian side Zeleziarne Podbrezova in 2018, where he signed his first professional contract.
He made his professional debut at the age of 19 for the Slovakian side, in a 3-1 win against Pod Zoborom in the league. In his first season as a professional, he made 14 appearances, scoring his first goal too.
Kiwior then moved to fellow Slovak side MSK Zilina in the summer transfer window for a fee of £210,000, where he established himself as a key player. In his first season at Zilina, Kiwior made 20 appearances, helping them to a second-place finish in the league.
The following season, aged 20, the defender made 37 appearances, becoming one of MSK Zilina’s key players. He scored three goals and five assists, playing more of a nailed on full-back role, rather than a centre-back.
Kiwior’s Serie A move attracted interest from Arsenal
The Poland international’s success in Slovakia caught the eye of Serie A side Spezia, who paid £2m to sign him in the summer of 2021, on transfer deadline day.
In his first season in Italy, Kiwior impressed, making 23 appearances for Spezia at the age of 21. Throughout his first season at the Italian club, he became more and more of a regular in the first team thanks to his good performances.
In the following year, Kiwior established himself as a top player for Spezia. He made 20 appearances in the first half of the season, which was enough to attract the attention of Arsenal, who came in for him in the January transfer window.
He then joined the Emirates for a fee of £16.4m, and made eight appearances for Mikel Arteta’s side in the second half of the 2022/23 season. He also scored his first goal for the Gunners on the final day of the season, in a 5-0 win against Wolves.
In the following season, Kiwior helped Arsenal fight in the Premier League title race against Manchester City. He made 30 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and contributing three assists. However, the Gunners came up two points short in the end.
Arsenal defender Kiwior received praise from Poland international legend.
The Poland international has received praise from one of his country’s best players in history. Back in 2022, Robert Lewandowski said to the press after Kiwior made his international debut against the Netherlands: “Listen to me, this is a real player.
“I noticed it during the warm-up before the match against the Netherlands. In training, it’s very difficult to see certain things. Then I saw him in the match, extraordinary. Really great potential.”