Since becoming the manager of Arsenal in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has overseen several transfer windows, which have all had varying degrees of success. In total, the Spaniard has spent around £700m.
Some of the success stories include the likes of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. The Norweigan midfielder joined Arsenal on a permanent basis from Real Madrid, after an initial loan move to the Emirates Stadium in a deal worth roughly £30m, in August 2021.
England international Rice, who has now captained his country, signed for the Gunners in a club-record deal which saw him move from West Ham to the North London club for £105m. It is fair to say both deals have been a success so far.
Meanwhile, some have not been quite as good. The likes of Nuno Tavares, who Arsenal signed from Benfica for £8m in 2021, has not worked out for either party with the full-back spending two consecutive seasons out on loan. Another in Pablo Mari, who cost £8m, is no longer at the club.
However, there is one player whom Arteta brought into the club in January 2023, who has ended up becoming an integral player for the Gunners during his time at the Emirates Stadium.
Jakub Kiwior’s stats in 2024
The player in question here is Polish international defender Jakub Kiwior, who has become an important player under the Spaniard this season, as Arsenal looked to beat Manchester City to the Premier League title.
The 24-year-old defender has played 30 times in all competitions for the Gunners this season, with 20 of those appearances coming in the top flight, and seven in the Champions League, a competition that Arsenal were eliminated from in the quarter-final, by Bayern Munich.
Kiwior has also chipped in with some handy goal involvements this season. The Poland international, who is likely going to go to Euro 2024, went on a run of four goals and assists in five Premier League games across February and March, which included finding the back of the net against Newcastle in a 4-1 victory at home.
Competition for a place at left-back for the Gunners this season has been high, although Arteta has often struggled to find the right formula for that side. Aside from Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu have played at left-back this season.
Despite this competition for places, Kiwior has put in some big performances across the season, something which has seen a spike in his market value going into the 2024 summer transfer window.
Kiwior’s market value in 2024
According to the market value tool by CIES Football Observatory, Kiwior has seen his transfer value rise to £34m, which is a sizeable increase compared to the sum that Arsenal paid for him in January 2023.
