[Photos] Jakub Kiwior poses in Arsenal shirt after completing £21m move

Jakub Kiwior has completed his move to Arsenal after joining on a long term contract from Spezia, the club has confirmed on Arsenal.com.

Mikel Arteta has been busy trying to strengthen his squad this month as the Spaniard has made no secret of his desire to bring in more depth to help boost Arsenal’s pursuit of the Premier League title.

The Gunners have been in the market for a left-footed centre-back in recent months and Kiwior emerged as a prime target late last week when reports claimed Arsenal were in advanced talks with Spezia.

A deal was quickly agreed between the two clubs and Kiwior was given permission to fly to London to undergo his medical and finalise personal terms over the weekend. The 22-year-old was in the stands at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to watch Arsenal’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Manchester United.

Arsenal have now confirmed on their official website that Kiwior has joined the club on a long-term contract. The defender will wear the No.15 shirt vacated by Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

The Polish international has been posing for photos in his new Arsenal kit and he’s already spent time at London Colney getting to know some of his new team-mates on Monday.

The Evening Standard claims that Arsenal will pay the Serie A outfit £17.5m up front with a further £3.5m due in add-ons, making the deal worth up to £21m in total.

Kiwior is predominantly a left-sided central defender so he’ll provide support for Gabriel – who’s been virtually ever present so far this season. However, the youngster is also comfortable playing in defensive midfield so he could also act as deputy for Thomas Partey in the middle of the park.

His versatility would have appealed to Arteta as the Spaniard has favoured buying young, multi-functional players who can play in several positions.

Kiwior joined Spezia from Zillna in 2021 and established himself as one of the best young defenders in Serie A with a string of impressive performances. He’s also become a regular in the senior Polish national team and started all four of their matches at the recent World Cup in Qatar.

The defender is tall, standing at 6ft 2in, but is known for his excellent ball-playing skills so he should fit in well at Arsenal. Kiwior becomes Arteta’s second major signing of the winter window following the arrival of Leandro Trossard – who made his debut against Man Utd on Sunday.

Here are more photos of Kiwior courtesy of Arsenal.com: