Jakub Kiwior left Arsenal in the summer to join Porto on a permanent deal, and the defender has now revealed how he informed Mikel Arteta of his intention to leave the club
Former Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior has shed light on his discussions with Mikel Arteta prior to his summer move to Porto. The 25-year-old had been a Gunner since January 2023, having signed from Italian club Spezia for just under £20million.
He racked up nearly 70 appearances for the North London side across all competitions, including 30 last season. However, he made the switch to Portuguese side Porto towards the end of the summer transfer window, joining them on a season-long loan deal with an obligation to make the move permanent at the end of the season for around £22.5m.
The Poland international has already made 10 appearances for his new team and has started every league match since his arrival.
Kiwior previously spoke about the challenge of leaving Arsenal in September and how he discovered a deal had been struck via social media before a training session, reports football.london.
Now, in a recent chat with the Polish FA's website, he has given more insight into how Arteta responded to his wish to leave the club.
“The last one, no. We already knew then that I would go on loan to Porto,” Kiwior explained, referring to his final conversation with Arteta. “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, currently sitting in second place in Group G, are set to face the Netherlands in a crucial World Cup qualifier on Friday evening.
They still have their work cut out for them if they hope to secure the play-off spot ahead of Finland, with a trip to Malta also on the cards for Monday evening to wrap up the group stage of their qualifying campaign.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will be looking to capitalise on their post-international break schedule as they aim to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
The Gunners currently hold a four-point lead over Manchester City in second place, and have managed to pull away from reigning champions Liverpool.
However, the north London side faces a challenging run of fixtures following the break, starting with a home game against fierce rivals Tottenham.
This is followed by a Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, before they head to Stamford Bridge for another London derby against Chelsea just days later.