Jakub Kiwior has opened up for the first time about the initial confusion and uncertainty over his Arsenal future this summer, before he completed a loan move to Porto.
The 25-year-old made just starts in the Premier League last season and did not feature in any of Arsenal’s three opening games this term.
And while Kiwior has provided solid cover for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s defence, the Poland international made it clear he was keen to boost his minutes elsewhere before the transfer deadline.
The acquisition of both Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie meant Arsenal were prepared to sanction Kiwior’s temporary exit and there was strong interest from Serie A in the versatile defender, with Napoli and AC Milan keeping tabs on the situation.
But Porto established themselves as the clear frontrunners for Kiwior towards the end of the window and the Primeira Liga outfit finally got their man on deadline day.
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Kiwior has joined Porto on a season-long loan deal, with an obligation to buy, and the centre-back could be in line to make his debut when the club return to action against CD Nacional after the international break.
‘It was difficult to say goodbye to Arsenal because I didn’t know when it would actually happen,’ Kiwior told Portuguese outlet O Jogo when asked about his decision to leave Arsenal.
‘If I had known the exact day in advance, I would have had time to prepare. In my last three days there, I didn’t know which would actually be my last.
‘[Transfer insider] Fabrizio Romano launched the ‘here we go’ campaign and I started receiving dozens of messages and calls congratulating me.
‘I was starting training… the players looked at it on their phones and asked me why I had put my kit on when the deal was already closed.’
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Kiwior admits it was ‘tough’ to say farewell to his team-mates at Arsenal, especially as he was unsure when his move would be officially announced.
‘I refused to say goodbye there because I still didn’t have any information about what might or might not happen,’ he added.
‘The next day, I knew I could say goodbye again. I went to the pitch to say goodbye to my teammates and the coach [Mikel Arteta].
‘They set up a farewell tunnel, and it was tough… not everyone I wanted to say goodbye to was there so I still had to make a few phone calls.’
Kiwior reunited with fellow countryman Jan Bednarek when he touched down in Portugal and the pair are likely to line up alongside each other at centre-back when Francesco Farioli’s men return to Primeira Liga action.
‘Porto is a top-notch organisation. I’m curious to learn more,’ Kiwior continued.
‘I met Bedi [Bednarek] when I was having blood drawn for the medical exams. He told me a lot about the club and the city.
‘I hope to spend a lot of time with him on the pitch.’
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