With Arsenal’s defence expected to be significantly bolstered by the signing of Riccardo Calafiori, it now appears that the Italian’s arrival at the Emirates could signal the end of one star’s time in North London.
Calafiori expected to become a Gunner
The latest news out of the Emirates centres around the signing of Calafiori from Serie A outfit Bologna. The 22-year-old is said to be joining Mikel Arteta’s side in a deal worth around £45 million with the defender having already agreed personal terms with the club.
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A central defender who can also play on the left side of a back four, the arrival of Calafiori could put a few of the Gunners’ current defenders on notice. It was previously thought that the Italian could be a successor to Oleksandr Zinchenko with the Ukrainian struggling to establish himself as a first team regular over the course of the previous season.
Whilst Calafiori would be unlikely to unseat Arsenal’s current central pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel, the Italian could eventually be stepping up to replace Saliba, who is attracting interest from some of Europe’s elite sides and will likely continue to do so in the years to come.
A recent report suggests that Arsenal are under threat of losing Saliba to Real Madrid in 2025, with the Champions League winners keeping a close eye on the French defender.
With Calafiori clearly not arriving to sit on the bench until then however, it appears that the Gunners have decided which current player could be shown the door this summer.
Fabrizio Romano hints at Arsenal ace’s future
As first reported on the X account of journalist Fabrizio Romano, Jakub Kiwior could leave Arsenal during the summer window as a consequence of Calafiori joining.
Romano claims that the Polish defender could leave if the right offer comes in with the Gunners open to the prospect of a loan but only with a mandatory buy clause.
Kiwior only arrived at Arsenal in January 2023 with the 24-year-old joining the Gunners in a £20 million move from Serie A side Spezia. It is hinted that a move back to Italy would be the defender’s most likely option with Romano stating that Italian clubs are keeping a close eye on the situation but no formal offers have been made as yet.
The 24-year-old has made 38 appearances for Arsenal during his near 18-month stint with the club. During this time, the Poland international has struggled to establish himself in Arteta’s side, mainly down to the exceptional displays seen from Ben White.
Whilst he has struggled for success at the domestic level, Kiwior has become a fixture for his country, representing his nation on 26 occasions. The defender also earned praise from Poland star Robert Lewandowski who spoke highly of the player back in 2022: “Oh Lord, listen to me: this is a real player!
“I noticed this during the warm-up before the game against the Netherlands (a 2-0 defeat last week). I asked: ‘But who is he’? Then I saw him in the game. Extraordinary. Really great potential.”
Whilst some of the Gunners’ faithful may be disappointed to see Kiwior leave this summer, the arrival of Calafiori is a more than worthy trade off.
