Exclusive: £20m player tells Arsenal he wants to leave, could return to former manager in 2025

Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior has told the Premier League challengers that he is keen to return to Serie A with injury-hit Juventus now ready to step up their pursuit.

• Exclusive from Graeme Bailey

Speaking after Arsenal fell further adrift of Liverpool over the weekend – Pedro Neto cancelling out Gabriel Martinelli’s opener in that 1-1 draw with Chelsea – Gunners boss Mikel Arteta expressed his hope that a spate of injuries and suspensions would soon be in the past.

William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber have all been unavailable on occasions in recent weeks.

Yet, despite being forced into the odd defensive reshuffle – Arsenal’s backline was almost unrecognisable at the end of that Liverpool clash at the Emirates in October – opportunities have remained few and far between for Jakub Kiwior.

And TBR understands that the £20 million Poland international has again informed Arsenal that he’d like a return to Italy should the chance present itself in the New Year.

Juventus ready to step up pursuit of Arsenal’s Jakub Kiwior

Kiwior moved to North London from Spezia back in January 2023.

And, while Arsenal accept that Kiwior has been unfortunate to play such a minimal role, the fact is that his preferred left-sided centre-back role is under lock and key by the outstanding Gabriel Magalhaes.

As such, TBR have been told that Kiwior is ready to pursue a fresh start. A reunion with former Spezia boss Thiago Motta is on the cards too, after Juventus lost both Juan Cabal and Gleison Bremer to long-term injuries.

Both defenders are likely to miss the rest of 2024/25. Cabal suffered a suspected anterior cruciate ligament rupture – the same issue that struck down Bremer – on international duty with Colombia this week.

Juventus were interested in Kiwior even before the news of Cabal’s absence broke.

David Hancko of Feyenoord is another on their radar, alongside PSG’s Milan Skriniar and the Saudi Arabian-based former Manchester City stopper Aymeric Laporte.

The presence of Motta on the Juventus touchline, meanwhile, should stand the Bianconeri in good stead as they look to beat a host of rival Serie A clubs to Kiwior’s signature. TBR have been told that Inter Milan and Bologna are also interested, with a move to the latter potentially seeing Arsenal’s number 15 fill a Riccardo Calafiori-shaped hole.

“I’m satisfied with his performance and I’m not surprised because he’s training very well,” Motta said of Kiwior during their time together at Spezia. “He is a player with interesting characteristics. He has a good [left] foot and showed great character.”

Antonio Conte’s Napoli have been tipped to make Kiwior move

Kiwior has played only 96 minutes of Premier League football in 2024/25.

He has not started a single top-flight match, and did his hopes of more regular action little good when his misplaced backpass led to Bournemouth’s clincher during the recent 2-0 loss at the Vitality Stadium.

Former Spezia president Stefano Chisoli, meanwhile, believes Antonio Conte’s Napoli could do worse than to look at Kiwior too. Conte, who has the Partenopei well-placed to reclaim a title they won in 2023, has moved away from his trademark back three towards a more traditional four-man defensive set-up.

“Kiwior is a great player,” Chisoli tells Radio Kiss Kiss. “He has great technique and a great physique.” Kiwior would be perfect in a back four.

“He was born a midfielder and has important tactical awareness.”

TBR have been told, meanwhile, that Arsenal could look at Nantes’ Nathan Zeze and Valencia’s Christian Mosquera if Kiwior departs. Palmeiras starlet Vitor Reis is another Arsenal target, with the Brazilian’s agent admitting that a departure is ‘inevitable’ in the near future.