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Italian outlet Il Mattino report (via TuttoJuve) that Jakub Kiwior hasn’t accepted Mikel Arteta’s decision to drop him from the starting lineup over the weekend, in favour of Gabriel Magalhaes.

Kiwior has reportedly asked to be sold, and Napoli are pushing to sign him. The Serie A club could make a move in January, and talks are planned with the player’s representatives.

Il Mattino claim Kiwior is the first name on Antonio Conte’s list of potential defensive signings for Napoli, and the meeting with the player’s agents will take place in the next few days.

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Transfer talk around Kiwior has been intensifying throughout the season so far, with Charles Watts reporting last month that if a decent offer arrived in January, he believed Arsenal would consider it.

Italian clubs have consistently been linked with Kiwior, likely in part due to his history in Serie A. The 24-year-old has already proven he can be a success in the country with Spezia, so the incentive is there to pick him up if Arsenal make him available.

Yet the talk died down as Kiwior returned to Arsenal’s starting lineup in recent matches. The centre-back played 90 minutes against Manchester United, Fulham, and AS Monaco, with the Gunners only conceding a single goal across the three games.

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Kiwior may have felt that was enough to keep his place when Gabriel returned from injury, but the Brazilian immediately returned to the starting lineup on Saturday.

There are still a few more games to play before the January window opens, starting with the League Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

Kiwior has played every minute of Arsenal’s two League Cup games so far, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him back in the lineup in midweek.

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