Opinion: Arsenal will be making catastrophic error by keeping £20 million man

The 2024/25 season hasn’t gone to plan for Arsenal, and a January transfer window move may well be needed to get the season back on track.

Mikel Arteta has been linked with a big-money move to sign Victor Osimhen, and he would take his side to another level.

However, with stringent new financial rules in place, the Gunners boss may well have to sell before he can buy.

Osimhen will reportedly cost around £58 million, according to Sabah (print edition December 6, page 17), so some serious funds will need to be raised this winter.

And there is one man in particular who Arteta has to try and force out of the Emirates Stadium exit door.

Arsenal have to sell Jakub Kiwior in January

Jakub Kiwior has failed to establish himself as a top-class player since moving to north London.

He has been a liability more often than he has performed well for the Gunners.

Arsenal forked out £20 million to sign the 24-year-old centre-back from Spezia in 2023 (Sky Sports).

That looks like wasted money now. Kiwior is not a bad player – it’s just that he is nowhere near good enough to be playing for a team making a run at the Premier League title.

The Poland international has averaged just 0.5 tackles and 0.1 interceptions in eight Premier League games for Arsenal this season.

If Arteta really wants to take this Arsenal side to the next level, he must invest in a centre-back nearer to the levels of Gabriel and William Saliba.

Kiwior is not the man the Gunners need if they are to win the title. And Arteta has to be ruthless when deciding whether or not to sell Kiwior, even if it means letting him go for a big loss.

Stats via WhoScored.