Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior says ‘yes’ to Inter Milan ahead of Riccardo Calafiori’s arrival

Jakub Kiwior is keen to push through a summer switch from Arsenal to Inter Milan this summer.

The 24-year-old joined Arsenal from Italian outfit Spezia for a fee of around £20million in January 2023 and went on to make 30 appearances in his first full season for the Gunners last term.

Arsenal’s defensive injury woes and Oleksandr Zinchenko’s dip in form meant Mikel Arteta relied heavily on Kiwior’s versatility, particularly in the second half of the campaign, with the Poland international comfortable playing at centre-back and left-back.

But Riccardo Calafiori’s impending arrival from Bologna could see Kiwior’s playing time diminish and the defender is desperate to secure regular minutes next season at what is a crucial stage of his career and development.

According to Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter have put out feelers regarding Kiwior’s potential availability and the Arsenal man has said ‘yes’ to the Serie A champions.

The report states that Kiwior has overtaken Torino captain Ricardo Rodriguez at the top of Simone Inzaghi’s shortlist of defensive targets and Inter are determined to land the Pole.

It’s claimed Arsenal have so far been unreceptive to the idea of a loan agreement for Kiwior, which Inter favour due to their financial situation. However the San Siro giants are willing to play the waiting game.

Kiwior, who has also been linked with Juventus in recent weeks, is tied into a deal at the Emirates until 2028.

In January, Inter’s rivals AC Milan explored a possible bid for Kiwior but the player’s agent poured cold water on the rumours at the time, insisting his client was committed to Arsenal.

‘Kuba is an Arsenal player,’ Pawel Zimonczyk told Polish outlet Kanal Sportowy.

‘There are no signs that they want to get rid of him and I don’t think anything will happen in the winter window.’

Kiwior, meanwhile, said it was flattering to hear about interest from other clubs in Europe, though stressed he remained ‘focussed’ on the task at hand in north London.

‘It’s definitely nice and I’m glad there’s interest in me,’ the versatile defender told Super Express.

‘But I focus on what is now. Besides, there have been no talks with me yet.’

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