After signing Granit Xhaka in shrewd deal, Xabi Alonso now hopes to rope in 25-year-old forgotten Arsenal star at Leverkusen: Reports

Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is reportedly interested in signing Arsenal star Jakub Kiwior this summer. The Spaniard hopes for a repeat of Granit Xhaka's transfer that saw him move to Germany and become a key member of Alonso's squad.

The Gunners signed Kiwior from Spezia Calcio in January 2023 but he's failed to make a big impact. He's mostly been a rotation player at either left-back or centre-back. He's made just 55 appearances across competitions and also contributed two goals and five assists.

As per Tuttosport (via Caught Offside), Arsenal are looking to part ways with Kiwior in the summer and Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing him. The German side are set to lose Jonathan Tah in the summer as a free agent. Hence, they are looking to reinforce their defense.

Kiwior was also linked with a move away in January with Juventus interested in signing him. However, the Gunners were unwilling to sell him mid-season. They will be open to selling him in the summer for a fee of around £12-16 million. His contract at the Emirates expires in 2028.

Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso will hope that if they sign Kiwior, he could have a similar impact as of Granit Xhaka. The Swiss midfielder joined the German side from Arsenal in 2023 and helped them win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal without losing a single game last season. He also helped them reach the UEFA Europa League final where they lost against Atalanta, marking their only defeat of the season.

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Mikel Arteta provides update on 2 defenders ahead of Arsenal's clash against Fulham

The Gunners are set to host Fulham on Tuesday in the Premier League on their return from the international break. However, they are likely to be without Riccardo Calafiori, who suffered an injury on international duty with Italy. Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber didn't feature for the Netherlands due to illness.

Ahead of the Fulham clash, Mikel Arteta provided an update on the duo, saying (via Arsenal.com):

"Riccardo, unfortunately, picked up an injury again with the national team. It was really unfortunate the way it happened, but it could have been much worse so hopefully it's going to be a matter of weeks. But we'll have to see how that injury evolves. Jurrien was ill for a long period, quite badly. He's felt much better in the last few days, so he's available."

Arsenal will be keen to keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool, who sit 12 points ahead of them with nine games remaining. However, they haven't beaten Fulham in their last three attempts with two draws and one defeat.