Making 20 league appearances last season, the defender has fallen down the pecking order following the summer signing of Riccardo Calafiori, and was dropped entirely from the squad for Arsenal’s opening game.

But while Kiwior is yet to appear this season, insiders at Arsenal maintain that he has not fallen from favor and that he remains highly rated by Arteta. However, although the Gunners would prefer to keep Kiwior on the books, it’s understood that they will not stand in the way of a transfer should his game time fail to improve.

AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma and Bologna are all believed to have tracked Kiwior over summer, while Premier League sides Aston Villa and Brighton are also known to be admirers.

Chelsea, though, have emerged as favorites for his possible signatures, with a number of outlets reporting that the west London club are weighing up a bid of €30 million in the next transfer window.

For the time being, it appears Kiwior is happy to fight for his place at Arsenal, but how long that stays the case remains to be seen. With Arsenal spoiled for choice in terms of left-backs and center-backs, Kiwior’s time at the club could be coming to an end.

The mounting speculation comes hot on the heels of a disastrous outing in the national team’s colors. Hooked at half-time against Scotland on Thursday, Kiwior’s error strewn performance was roundly slammed by fans and pundits alike.

Chipping into the debate, even UEFA vice-president Zbigniew Boniek voiced his criticism: “He was weak,” said the Boniek, “and it was only thanks to the very poor technical skills of the Scottish players that we did not concede a goal after Kiwior’s mistakes.”