22 January 2023 , 10:51
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Spezia manager Luca Gotti has expressed his frustration at Jakub Kiwior's proposed transfer to Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Kiwior, 22, is set to complete a €25million (£21m) switch from Spezia to Arsenal during the next few days after a transfer fee was agreed. It is believed the centre-back will sign a five-and-a-half-year deal with the Gunners and compete a medical on Sunday.
Kiwior started all four of Poland's games at the World Cup in Qatar. He is expected to watch Arsenal's game against Manchester United on Sunday from the stands and will not be involved in Spezia's Serie A clash against Roma on the same day.
Gotti expressed his frustration at the transfer during a press conference on Saturday. He said: "I am very happy for Kiwior and this opportunity he created for himself. It is also the biggest sale in Spezia’s history and I imagine the club is happy with that too.
"However, I cannot be happy with it. There are coaches who constantly complain and ask for reinforcements, that is not me but I am often in a situation where my clubs sell at a big profit.
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"That doesn’t mean the players who arrive to replace them are worse, they are merely less ready to deliver. It is frustrating for a coach, as when you work to build them up, you then don’t get to enjoy the fruits of your labour, as they are sold and you press the reset button."
Jakub Kiwior is on the verge of joining Arsenal (Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)Are you excited to see Jakub Kiwior play for Arsenal? Let us know in the comments below!
Kiwior started his career at GKS Tychy in his native Poland before joining Belgian club Anderlecht in July 2016, aged 16. He joined Slovakian side Podbrezova - his first professional club - in January 2019 and impressed during his 14 outings to gain Zilina's attention.
The defender joined Zilina in August 2019 and played 59 games for the Slovakian side over the next two seasons. His good form persuaded Spezia to sign him in August 2021 and he's since featured 54 times to help the minnows maintain their Serie A status.
Kiwior was a regular for Poland at youth level before earning his first senior cap last year. He's won nine to date and gained international recognition at the recent World Cup, with Poland captain Robert Lewandowski labelling him "extraordinary".
Lewandowski said: "The guy has great potential. During the warm-up of the game with the Netherlands, I thought, 'Who is this guy?' Then, during the match, I realised that he is extraordinary."
Kiwior is primarily a centre-back but can also play at left-back or in central midfield. Former Spezia manager Thiago Motta, who brought him to Italy, said in 2021: "He has trained well, we needed a player who would give us more balance and we found it in Jakub.
"We also tried him in midfield, he is a smart player and works very hard. It’s a difficult role, but he manages to do it. He gives us balance and it’s what we were looking for."