Arsenal reportedly rebuffed interest from as many as four Italian clubs for versatile defender Jakub Kiwior in the summer transfer window.
The 24-year-old has not been able to break up the established pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes since joining the Gunners in January 2023, since when he has only been a squad player for Mikel Arteta.
Kiwior's versatility has often come in handy - the Poland international enjoyed a brief stint on the left-hand side of the Arsenal backline last season - but he has not earned any Premier League minutes so far this season.
The 24-year-old's future was plunged into uncertainty when he was left out of Arteta's squad for their opening weekend over Wolverhampton Wanderers, in what was said to have been a tactical move from the Spaniard.
Kiwior was back in the ranks for clashes with Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion, but he was an unused substitute in both games and is seemingly surplus to requirements in North London.
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Inter, Napoli 'blocked' from signing Kiwior
The defender caught the eye of Arsenal when he was playing for Spezia in Serie A, and a host of Italian clubs were said to have shown an interest in re-signing him during the summer transfer window.
However, Fichajes claims that the Gunners rejected advances from four clubs, including Bologna, whom they struck a £42m deal with to sign the equally adaptable Riccardo Calafiori.
Reigning champions Inter Milan were supposedly hoping to sign Kiwior too, as were Napoli and Fiorentina, but their pleas fell on deaf ears as Arsenal opted to keep hold of the Poland international.
Even though Kiwior is not an Arteta favourite, the report adds that the Arsenal boss is still counting on the Pole for the 2024-25 campaign, a stance that has been reinforced by his inclusion in Arsenal's Champions League squad.
Kiwior has made 38 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal since his £16.4m arrival in January 2023, scoring two goals and setting up three more, and his contract expires in the summer of 2028.
Should Arsenal consider selling Kiwior next summer?
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During the 2023-24 campaign, Kiwior benefitted from defensive injuries and Kieran Tierney's loan exit to Real Sociedad to make 11 Premier League starts, 10 of which came on the left-hand side.
Fitness-wise, the 24-year-old is certainly a more reliable option than Tierney or Takehiro Tomiyasu, who are both currently on the sidelines, but he does not generate as much excitement in the final third as the former and is nowhere near as popular as the latter.
Tierney was also surprisingly included in Arsenal's Champions League squad alongside Kiwior, suggesting that Arteta still feels that the Scotland international has something to offer his side in the coming months.
Furthermore, new boy Calafiori - who is two years Kiwior's junior - can also feature at left-back and centre-back with equal competence, while Jurrien Timber is now in favour under Arteta following his ACL recovery.
The presence of Oleksandr Zinchenko only limits Kiwior's opportunities further, and as Arsenal can realistically make a profit on their £16.4m outlay, the Pole's time in North London should come to an end in 2025 barring an unforeseen revival.
Ben Knapton
