Jakub Kiwior: Arsenal close to signing Spezia and Poland defender ...

Arsenal are close to signing Spezia and Poland central defender Jakub Kiwior.

The deal for the 22-year-old defender is understood to be worth £20m.

Sky Italy are reporting the player will fly into the UK over the weekend for a medical, with personal terms not expected to be a problem.

Kiwior has been capped nine times by Poland and started all four of their games at the World Cup in Qatar.

Arsenal have been looking for a left-sided central defender to provide competition for Gabriel.

Sky Sports' Sam Blitz:

There is a reason why Arsenal want to provide competition for centre-back Gabriel.

The Brazilian defender has played every single minute for the Gunners in this Premier League season - and every minute in all competitions since the World Cup break.

Mikel Arteta knows that too much football on young legs can lead to dwindling displays towards the end of the campaign. For example, there was not enough competition or rest time for Bukayo Saka last season and he ended the campaign with zero goals and zero assists from open play in the final 10 league matches.

Kiwior has gone under the radar in Serie A and not many fans even noticed him during the World Cup, where he started every game for Poland as they lost to France in the last 16.

The 22-year-old does seem to fit the bill for an Arsenal defensive signing, with a wide range of passing and an ability to defend well while under pressure - as well as fitting the age profile for new recruits under Arteta.

Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window opened on Sunday January 1, 2023 and closes at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland on Tuesday January 31, 2023.

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.