‘Extraordinary’: Lewandowski loves £16m man West Ham missed out on

Follow us on Google Discover

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has labelled Poland team-mate Jakub Kiwior an ‘extraordinary’ talent after Premier League outfit West Ham United failed with a £10 million bid over the summer, in quotes translated by Citta della Spezia and Tuttomercatoweb. 

Spezia might have retained the 22-year-old’s services beyond the summer window but whether they can do the same again in January remains to be seen.

According to reports, Kiwior is closing in on a potential £16 million move to Serie A champions AC Milan. The former MSK Zilina man would join Rafael Leao, Sandro Tonali, Fikayo Tomori, Charles de Ketelaere and co at a Rossoneri side who’s Scudetto-winning campaign was built upon the foundations laid down by a crop of highly-talented young players. 

In short, he’d be in good company at San Siro.

Jakub Kiwior could join AC Milan after £10m West Ham bid failed

“Oh Lord, listen to me: this is a real player!” Lewandowski says of Kiwor, who earned his fourth Poland cap during Sunday’s 1-0 UEFA Nations League victory over Wales. 

“I noticed this during the warm-up before the game against the Netherlands (a 2-0 defeat last week). I asked: ‘But who is he’? Then I saw him in the game. Extraordinary. Really great potential.”

West Ham would eventually bring in Thilo Kehrer from Paris Saint-Germain after giving up on Kiwior in August. And while the German international has committed a couple of high-profile errors so far – an own goal against Tottenham and a penalty given away against Brighton – Kehrer already appears to have struck up an impressive partnership with Kurt Zouma at the heart of David Moyes’ backline. 

Kehrer was arguably West Ham’s best performer during the 1-0 loss at Everton before the international break.

“Amazingly, I already see Thilo Kehrer stepping up in the dressing room,” Moyes says of the former Schalke youngster. “Big personality, big voice. 

“I said about players taking time to adapt. And it may sound like a manager’s excuse, but I actually think he has adapted really well.

“He has had a couple of moments but you would have to say he has come in and played well and showed in the dressing room he has a voice and is trying to help the players.”