Jakub Kiwior has made his move to FC Porto permanent, and he is clear about how it happened. "The decision to leave was entirely mine," he said. Porto have triggered the purchase option in his loan deal, and the defender says the move was driven by his wish for more football rather than any push from Arsenal.

Why Kiwior wanted out

Kiwior said he was not laughing off a rejection story because there was no rejection story to begin with. "I laughed at that information because it was the exact opposite," he said. He added that he wanted to play, but with Gabriel and Saliba ahead of him, the chances were small.

That is the key point here. Kiwior has not framed this as Arsenal deciding he was surplus to requirements. He framed it as a player looking at the depth chart and making a straightforward call about his own minutes.

He also said he spoke to Mikel Arteta and explained how he saw things. "I convinced him (Arteta) myself," Kiwior said. "He understood my ambitions and my desire to play, and he thanked me for how I behaved as both a person and a player."

What Porto are paying for

The deal is already agreed on clear terms. Porto will sign Kiwior permanently for a fixed €17 million fee, plus up to €5 million in variables. The contract runs until June 2030 and includes a €70 million release clause.

There is also a football reason Porto have moved quickly. Kiwior made 38 appearances across all competitions and played 3,022 minutes this season, so they are not buying a player short of match rhythm. Arsenal are said to retain €2 million from any future transfer, though the main story is still the same one Kiwior told himself: the move came from a need to play more.

The competition for that route at Arsenal was real, especially with Saliba firmly ahead of him. Saliba made 42 appearances across all competitions in Arsenal’s 2025 season, with 29 of those in the Premier League and 11 in the Champions League. That is a lot of ground for anyone behind him to make up.

Porto get a defender who has been honest about the motivation for leaving and has already spent a season playing regular football. Arsenal lose a squad option, but not because the player says the club forced him out. The line from Kiwior is the one that matters, and it points to a transfer driven by opportunity rather than rejection.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →