"I was told..." - Expert explains how Arsenal were able to pull off unexpected January move

Arsenal were busy during the January transfer window, but their acquisition of Polish defender Jakub Kiwior seemed to go under the radar, leaving plenty of clubs scratching their heads.

Mikel Arteta also added Leandro Trossard from Brighton for a fee in the region of £27million to help provide competition for Gabriel Martinelli.

Meanwhile, they completed the deadline day signing of Jorginho from Chelsea for around £10million to help boost their title credentials. But nobody very few saw Kiwior's transfer coming.

Since the 22-year-old's arrival in north London, details of his move have now been revealed, with all parties thought to have entered a 'gentleman's agreement' in order to keep the deal quiet.

Kiwior's Arsenal transfer explained

Transfer expert Steve Kay was quizzed on how the Gunners were able to sign Kiwior so quickly, despite the player being on several European club's watchlists.

Kay told Get Italian Football News: "Well, Mikel Arteta has been tracking him for a long while.

"I was told that they were tracking him long before the World Cup. To be honest, when I first got wind of it, I didn’t know too much about him. And then I watched him in the World Cup, and I was very impressed.

"I dubbed him the Polish Maldini because that is what he reminds me of. He is a fantastic prospect. Quick, strong. He’s a defender that’s made for the Premier League.

“He’s perfect for for Arsenal, because, I mean, everybody knows that he’s came in at left side and within the centre-back role as an alternative for Gabriel, if he were to go down injured or be used as a rotation in Europe.

"Kiwior is a big asset to Arsenal because he could also play in a defensive midfield position if needed. And that possibly maybe needed.

"Again, you know, just made for Premier League football. And for me, Mikel found an absolute gem. And as I said, He reminds me of a Polish Maldini. I’m a great sort of fan of but, yeah, I feel in a few years, this guy is going to be very special.”

Topics: Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, Premier League, Football, Transfers, Jorginho

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno