Arsenal set off for Porto on loan with Jakubu Kiwior in season.
Jakub Kiwior revealed that after seeing the news on social media, he only learned that the move to Porto had experienced. Kiwiall will leave Arsenal and join the Portuguese side on loan during the season, making it a permanent £22.5 million transfer next summer.
The Polish defender made 68 appearances for Arsenal after joining Spezia in January 2023, but did not nail the starting spot. He was used as a backup centre back for Mikel Arteta and was keen to secure more regular first-team football this summer.
His exit became feasible as Arsenal’s moves of Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapey lined up as an alternative. However, Leverkusen’s negotiations have resulted in annoying delays that Kiwior leaves for Porto, creating a confused situation for the 25-year-olds.
“It was hard to say goodbye to Arsenal because we didn’t know if that would actually happen,” he told reporters after joining Poland in international duties.
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“If I had known the exact day in advance, I would have had time to prepare. In the last three days, I didn’t know which would really be my last.
“Fabrizio Romano has announced “Here We Go.” I’ve started receiving a lot of messages. He congratulated me. I was starting to train… the player looked at it on his phone and asked why he wore the kit even though he had closed.
“I refused to say goodbye there because I still had no information about what would happen or not. The next day I already knew I could say goodbye.
“I went to the pitch to say goodbye to my teammates and coaches. They set up a farewell tunnel. It was tough… There weren’t all the people who wanted to say goodbye.
Kiwiol had to be patient with his opportunity under Arteta, as Gabriel Magalges and William Saliba are safe as Arsenal’s first choice centre-back pairings. He played at left back and defense center when injuries and rotations were allowed, but he clearly likes his position.
“I feel more comfortable playing left back more comfortably,” he said. “My experience at Arsenal has given me great quality at my feet with the ball. Signing FC Porto is a great joy for me because I know history and know that this is a great club, so I’m very happy.
“I was really looking forward to coming here and discovering everything about the club. This is not the best time. We are on an international break and we have to wait another week to meet our fans and understand the atmosphere.”
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