“He’s a player with amazing qualities, but Mikel Arteta is yet to discover him, i need him at AC Milan by January”- AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli reveals he’s seriously keen on signing exceptional €20M Arsenal star who was firm for Mikel Arteta last season and helped him finished Second behind Man City
“He’s a player with amazing qualities, but Mikel Arteta is yet to discover him, i need him at AC Milan by January”- AC Milan head coach Stefano Pioli discloses he is serious on signing exceptional €20 million Arsenal star who was a thorn in Mikel Arteta’s side last season and helped him finish second behind Manchester City.
AC Milan are said to be interested in signing Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior.
After spending 18 months with Italian club Spezia, the Pole sealed a £21 million move to Arsenal earlier this year.
Kiwior has struggled for consistent game time since coming at the Emirates Stadium in January, with Mikel Arteta preferring to deploy the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.
He was limited to eight competitive appearances in the second half of last season, and he has appeared in just six games in the first few months of the 2023-24 season.
Although he has started Arsenal’s previous two competitive games, including the EFL Cup defeat to West Ham United on Wednesday, it remains to be seen whether he will be granted a consistent run of games in the team.
Despite having a contract until June 2028, Kiwior’s lack of consistent playing time has piqued AC Milan’s interest.
The versatile defender has been mentioned as a potential January target by the Italian club, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Milan manager Stefano Pioli is looking to bolster his backline, which has been weakened by a handful of injuries.
Pierre Kalulu has been ruled out for four months following surgery for a tendon injury suffered in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Napoli.
The Frenchman was then replaced by 21-year-old centre-back Marco Pellegrino, who was unable to finish the game due to an injury.
Following an examination, it was determined that Pellegrino had damaged his heel and would be out until December.
While Pellegrino could return before the conclusion of the season, Kalulu’s long-term injury has made finding a new center defender a top priority for the Milan management.
The Rossoneri are unlikely to launch a transfer move for Kiwior, but they may investigate the possibilities of a loan deal with options to buy with an Italian club.
However, it is unclear whether Arsenal will consider parting ways, especially with Jurrien Timber now out with a long-term injury.
Aside from Kiwior, AC Milan have been linked with Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly, and PAOK center-back Konstantinos Koulierakis is said to be a possibility.