Restricted Arsenal star targeted by desperate European suitors who have Bournemouth man as plan B
AC Milan targets Jakub Kiwior and Lloyd Kelly
Arsenal fringe player Jakub Kiwior has become a target for AC Milan ahead of the January transfer window due to their injury crisis in his position at centre-back, according to reports in Italy.
Kiwior joined Arsenal from Spezia last winter in something of a surprise move, given that it meant sacrificing regular gametime. So far, he has still only played 14 times for Arsenal, starting just twice in the Premier League this season from their opening 10 matches.
It recently came to light that Kiwior could have left Arsenal after just six months, when Sevilla tried to sign him on loan over the summer, but manager Mikel Arteta rejected the plans.
Now, Arsenal might have another decision to make about the Poland international, because La Gazzetta Dello Sport is reporting that Milan are interested in taking him back to Italy.
Currently, their centre-backs Pierre Kalulu, Marco Pellegrini and Matteo Caldara are all injured, while Simon Kjaer is not yet back at 100 percent either.
With that in mind, Milan are wondering if they could sign a centre-back in January on a short-term loan deal, and they have identified Kiwior as someone who could meet their needs.
As a left-footed central defender, Kiwior finds himself behind Gabriel Magalhaes in the pecking order for Arsenal. The fact he can also operate as a left-sided full-back, though, has worked in his favour on occasion.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal would be willing to do business on Milan’s favoured terms – Tuttomercatoweb has since provided an update that they are against loaning Kiwior out as things stand – but it seems there could be an exit route for the 23-year-old to keep an eye on.
Milan have alternatives to Kiwior
That said, he is not the only option for Milan to be mentioned by La Gazzetta Dello Sport. As well as potential loan reinforcements, they are also looking at players approaching the ends of their contracts.
One such name is Lloyd Kelly from Bournemouth, whom the Rossoneri are said to have scouted in a recent Premier League match against Burnley.
The theory is that Kelly could be available for a cut-price fee because of the lack of time remaining on his deal with Bournemouth. As things stand, he is due to become a free agent at the end of the season.
A third contender to fill Milan’s void could be Konstantinos Koulierakis, a teenager who plays for PAOK in Greece.
