Jose Mourinho keen to sign £21m Arsenal star as January transfer decision made

AS Roma boss Jose Mourinho is keen to sign Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior on loan in the January transfer window, according to recent reports. Kiwior joined the Gunners in the last winter window, signing from Serie A outfit Spezia for a fee in the region of £21million.

However, he has found regular game time hard to come by, with Gabriel Magalhaes Mikel Arteta's preferred choice at left centre-back. The Polish international has started just two Premier League fixtures so far this term, resulting in some speculation regarding a potential move away from the Emirates Stadium.

Now, Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb have reported that Italian giants Roma are interested in a potential loan move for the 23-year-old, with their head coach Mourinho said to be a fan of the player. It seems unlikely that Arsenal would be willing to let Kiwior leave the club considering they are quite short of options at the back.

That situation will be further highlighted when Takehiro Tomiyasu heads to the Asian Cup in January, potentially missing up to five games for the Gunners depending on how far his native Japan get in the tournament. In the few appearances he has had, Kiwior has looked like a defender with plenty of potential.

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The talented centre-half is intelligent in his reading of the game, always looking to cut out through balls and get on the front foot. He is similarly impressive with the ball at his feet, more than capable of providing line-breaking passes from the back, as well as long-range switched of play to the north London outfit's wingers.

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