Serie A giants keen on signing €20 million rated Arsenal star in the summer: Reports

Serie A giants Napoli are reportedly plotting a move for Arsenal’s Jakub Kiwior in a bid to strengthen their defense ahead of next season.

Kiwior has seen his stock decline at the Emirates Stadium this season after struggling for game time. He has been included in the matchday squad of Arsenal’s last 14 Premier League games but has ended up being an unused substitute in all.

Antonio Conte, who became Napoli's manager last summer, reportedly made it clear that he wants strong guarantees in the transfer market before committing to the club long-term. The Italian gaffer is hoping to strengthen all areas of the squad, including the defense.

According to TEAMtalk, Napoli have been monitoring Jakub Kiwior’s situation since the January transfer window, but a deal couldn’t materialize at the time due to the Serie A side being unable to meet Arsenal’s asking price. The report added the Gunners value Kiwior at around €20 million, and the Azzurri could decide to match the defender’s price tag this summer.

While Napoli are yet to make a formal offer, it is said that Arsenal are willing to sell the defender if they get the right offer. Thus, if the Naples-based club tables a suitable bid, the Poland international could be the first departure under the Gunners’ new sporting director Andrea Berta.

Meanwhile, Napoli have their work cut out for the signature of Kiwior, as Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen recently showed interest in Kiwior and have begun to consider the possibility of a transfer.

Jakub Kiwior joined Arsenal from Spezia Calcio in 2023 for a reported fee of €19.5 million. He has made 17 appearances and provided 2 assists for the north London club this season.

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Mikel Arteta drops update on Arsenal’s summer transfer plans

Mikel Arteta recently revealed that his Arsenal side will be very busy in the upcoming summer transfer market. This marks a shift from the relatively quiet approach the Gunners adopted during the two previous transfer periods this season. They didn’t sign any player in the last window, despite being expected to sign a striker.

Arteta's side last won a major trophy in 2020, which was the FA Cup. And now, it’s starting to look like they will finish as runners-up for the third successive season in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta will be hoping to end this side’s trophy drought in recent times by making additions to his squad. Speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Fulham on Tuesday (April 1), Arteta said the summer transfer window will be a 'big one.'

He said (via Sky Sports):

"It's going to be a big one (summer) and we are very excited about it. When you are going to go again, we want to increase the depth of the squad and the quality and the skills that we need to go to the next step."

"Every summer is big because it is an opportunity and especially because of the number of players we have in the squad right now that is necessary. But it's a big summer for many things because first of all we have to maintain the good foundations that we have and then obviously how can we improve and evolve the team," Arteta added.

Arsenal are currently sitting in the second position on the league table.