Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior has been backed to join Barcelona at some point in the future, should he continue his current rapid development.
That’s according to former youth teammates Mateusz Szlenk, Nikolas Wróblewski and managers Damien Galeja and Krzysztof Berger, who have backed the Arsenal man to be a big star in future, including when it comes to transfers.
Kiwior joined Arsenal in a €25m deal from Spezia Calcio in the January transfer window, a surprise move from the Gunners given their relative strength at the back, particularly centre-back.
The move to the Emirates was the latest in a rising career for Kiwior, who started at Polish side GKS Tychy before joining Anderlecht in 2016. From there he went back to Slovakia before moving to Italy in 2021.
An impressive two years with Spezia earned him attention around Europe and it was eventually Arsenal who made the move to secure his signature.
The 23-year-old is very much a player for the future, someone the Gunners will be hoping to develop into a star for Mikel Arteta’s side down the line.
That is something his former youth teammates can certainly see happening, backing him to even end up at Barcelona.
“I believe that he is able to become the leader of the national team’s defence after Kamil Glik,” said Galeja.
“When Kamil was young, his performances were not perfect. The defender needs to gain experience. If we give Kubuś a chance, in many years we will certainly have a great defender, a pillar of our national team,” added Berger.
For former teammates Mateusz Szlenk and Nikolas Wróblewski, meanwhile, the focus is on future transfers and they believe the defender could end up at Barcelona.
“There is a deficit in the defense line, I think he will be there in a few years and he will prove himself there,” they stated when discussing the defender.
The focus for Kiwior will be on establishing himself at Arsenal and with the national team, with more success coming in the latter than the former at this point in time.
This season could be a big one, though, and he insists he’s ready to take any opportunities presented to him with both hands.
“I want to be prepared and play 100% in every game. I don’t try to compare myself to anyone,” he said.
“I want my colleagues to feel as likely as possible behind me. I certainly don’t feel like a leader, because I’ve only been in the national team for a year, although it’s nice that everything turned out this way. I got a chance, and I took it.”
