Arsenal want 'good deal' to sell £20m player, £12.5m price tag rumours are 'laughable' - journalist

Arsenal are likely to be busy on the transfer front over the coming weeks as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad’s ranks.

The Gunners took the Premier League title battle to the final day of the season, showing how far they’ve come in the past few years.

This summer, Arsenal’s job will be to strengthen their squad so they can get their hands on a trophy that has eluded them since 2004.

Outgoings are also on the cards, with the Gunners set to offload players that appear to be surplus to the manager’s requirements.

In recent days, Arsenal have been heavily linked with one of the best young defenders in European football.

This could potentially see one of the Gunners’ current fringe players potentially make a move, but only for the right price, according to Charles Watts.

READ MORE: Arsenal have made contact to sign ‘world class’ Real Madrid player

Arsenal won’t want to sell Jakub Kiwior for ‘laughable’ fee

The player in question is Jakub Kiwior, whose future at Arsenal seems uncertain amid rumours linking the Gunners with Riccardo Calafiori.

Numerous updates over the weekend have suggested that the Italy international is likely to complete a move to the Emirates Stadium.

As a left-footed centre-back who can also play at left-back, Calafiori’s profile is similar to that of Kiwior.

With that in mind, the Poland international is likely to slip further down the pecking order if Calafiori joins Arsenal.

Watts, writing on CaughtOffside, has stressed that Kiwior is popular in the Gunners dressing room and the club isn’t necessarily looking to offload him.

The Arsenal-leaning journalist has also claimed that Arsenal will want a “good deal” for a player they paid £20million for, and dismissed “laughable” rumours of a £12.5million price tag.

“The most likely option is that Jakob Kiwior could go,” said Watts. “He has a very similar profile to Calafiori so it’s hard to see how they could both be utilised should they be in the squad together.

“Kiwior is popular at Arsenal and Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff are happy with the progress he has made since he signed.

“He got plenty of minutes last season and Arteta trusted him enough to play him in a lot of big games, even if that was mainly as a stand in left-back.

“So if he does leave, then Arsenal will want to get a good deal for the 24-year-old. They spent around £20million to sign him just 18 months ago and he has improved as a defender since then.

“I’ve seen figures such as €15million (£12.5million) mentioned and that quite frankly is laughable.

“Arsenal are already viewed as poor sellers when it comes to the transfer market and a deal like that would be a terrible precedent to set in a summer when the club are looking to make good money on a number of departures.”

Arsenal trying their best to shake off ‘poor sellers’ reputation

In years gone by, Arsenal were notorious for losing high-profile players on the cheap, or even for nothing.

This is something they’re trying their best to shake off, and so far they’ve done well on the player and the contract front.

Arsenal’s squad is now full of players who tick all the boxes with regards to both talent and character. And the Gunners aren’t letting contracts get to their last 12 months before acting.

Kiwior’s contract runs until 2028, so Arsenal’s hand will be strong in negotiations. In addition, the player has proven his worth at the highest level.

As Watts says, there’s very little chance that they’ll sell him for less than what they paid for him.