Jakub Kiwior has revealed how he personally persuaded Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to let him leave for Porto this summer.
Reports had suggested that the north London club were keen to offload the Polish centre-back, but Kiwior insists that was not the case.
The 25-year-old made 68 appearances for the Gunners and became increasingly important last season, starting both legs of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final clash with PSG in Gabriel’s absence.
This summer, the arrivals of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie made competition for places even tougher, prompting Kiwior to seek regular game-time elsewhere.
‘The club didn’t want to let me go and it took a long time for them to agree to the transfer,’ he told TVP Sport.
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‘I was valued there; no one wanted to get rid of me. Arteta didn’t want me to leave for Portugal either, so I never felt unwanted.’
The decision to leave, Kiwior says, was entirely his own.
‘The decision to leave was entirely mine,’ he added. ‘I wanted to play, but with Gabriel and Saliba ahead of me, the chances were small.’
Kiwior then took matters into his own hands, speaking directly to Arteta about his ambitions.
‘I convinced him myself,’ he revealed. ‘I went to talk to him and explained how I saw everything. He understood my ambitions and my desire.’
It was Porto, though, who kept applying pressure until the deal was done.
Kiwior said: ‘It was FC Porto who convinced me. At one point, they were calling every day. They fought hard and never gave up, even after several rejections from Arsenal.’
The 25-year-old has quickly settled in Portugal, linking up with former Southampton player and international teammate Jan Bednarek.
Kiwior’s move is a season-long loan from Arsenal, who signed him from Serie A side Spezia for €20m (£17.6m) in 2023.
‘I had many offers, but when I saw Jan Bednarek had joined, I told myself: if it works out, it will be great, and it really is,’ he said.
Kiwior has featured in five games for Porto this season, including last weekend’s goalless draw with Jose Mourinho’s Benfica, as the Portuguese champions remain unbeaten and three points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga.
Above all, Kiwior is adamant that leaving the Premier League isn’t a step down.
‘I don’t see it that way,’ he insisted. ‘FC Porto and Arsenal have a lot in common. Great clubs, big ambitions, amazing fans and stadiums, and strong traditions.’
‘It wasn’t hard to say goodbye to London, especially thinking of the sporting opportunities.’
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