Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior given escape route as Inter line up transfer bid and Gunners edge closer to signing Riccardo Calafiori

Per Gazzetta dello Sport, reigning Serie A champions Inter are reportedly in search of a left-footed defender and are eyeing a move for Gunners outcast Kiwior. The north London club are closing in on finalising the transfer of Bologna and Italy's breakthrough star Riccardo Calafiori and will be paying a transfer fee in the region of €50 million (£42m/$55m) to €54m (£46m/$59m).

The Polish defender arrived at Emirates in January 2023 and in the 2023-24 campaign he appeared in 30 matches across all competitions and clocked just 1594 minutes. Calafiori's arrival would likely see his playing time diminish even more and, with the Poland international willing to move out of the club in search of more game time, Inter could be an ideal destination.

Calafiori is believed to have agreed to personal terms with the Gunners, including a five-year contract. The club are hopeful that the 22-year-old's transfer can be completed in the next few days. Arsenal initially wanted to send Kiwior to Bologna as part of the Calafiori deal but the former was reluctant to make the move as he held out for a bigger team. Kiwior's stance reportedly threatened to derail Arsenal's pursuit of Calafiori, but the issue seems to have been resolved.

Mikel Arteta's side are all set to jet off to the United States in the coming week where they are scheduled to play pre-season friendlies against Bournemouth, Liverpool and Manchester United.