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Central defender Jakub Kiwior departed Arsenal on deadline day to join Porto on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season
Former Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior has opened up on the conversations he had with Mikel Arteta in the lead-up to his move to Porto over the summer.
The 25-year-old had been at Arsenal since January 2023, when he joined from Italian side Spezia for a little under £20 million. In total, he amassed just shy of 70 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions, 30 of which came last season.
However, he completed a move to Portuguese outfit Porto towards the end of the summer transfer window, joining them on a season-long loan deal with an obligation to make a permanent switch at the end of the campaign for a fee in the region of £22.5m. So far, the Poland international has made ten appearances for his new club and has started every league game since his arrival.
Kiwior spoke about the difficulty of leaving Arsenal back in September and how he found out a deal had been agreed through social media before a training session. Now, in a recent interview with the Polish FA's website, he has provided further context on how Arteta reacted to his desire to leave the club.
“The last one, no. We already knew then that I would go on loan to Porto,” he explained, when discussing his final conversation with the manager. “The coach emphasised how big the club was and wished me luck.
“The earlier conversation, when I asked for the loan, was more difficult. I’d never done this before, but I felt the time had come to speak with him face to face. He understood me and supported me.”
Poland are in World Cup qualifying action on Friday evening against the Netherlands and currently occupy second place in Group G, but they have work to do if they are to secure the play-off spot ahead of Finland. They also face a trip to Malta on Monday evening to conclude the group stage of their qualifying campaign.
For Arsenal, the post-international break schedule will be crucial as they look to extend their lead at the summit of the Premier League table. They currently boast a four-point advantage over Manchester City in second, while they are now several clear of reigning champions Liverpool.
They do, however, face a tricky run of games after the break with the visit of bitter rivals Tottenham, followed by a clash with Bayern Munich in the Champions League. A few days later they will contest another London derby away at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.
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