Serie A giants Juventus are preparing a major summer bid for Jakub Kiwior. He is an Arsenal loanee who has found his best form in Portugal. Gunners will only make a small profit from his potential departure. But the defender’s rapid rise has become the real talking point in recent months.
The Jakub Kiwior Transfer saga
As per reports, Juventus have revived their previous interest in the Polish centre-back. The Italian side wants to strengthen their backline ahead of the summer of 2026. However, he is still on loan at Porto from Arsenal. The Portuguese side have set a price close to £30 million.
To proceed with this move, Porto have to activate their required obligation to sign the player from the Gunners. The London club are expecting a payout of around £23 million from this deal. They also have a sell-on clause that could provide an extra £1.7 million if he moves to another club. Which can possibly be Juventus in this case.
Kiwior’s original move from Spezia cost the Gunners around £20 million in January 2023. If Juventus triggers the £30 million deal, the Gunners would expect a profit of £4.7 million on the player. If the move happens, it will officially end his career at the Premier League side after a mixed spell.
Juventus
Jakub Kiwior at Arsenal
Jakub Kiwior arrived at the Emirates in January 2023 as a strong defensive option. He mainly played as a left-sided centre-back but often filled in at left-back when required. During his two-and-a-half seasons in English football top flight, he played 68 games for the club. He scored three goals and had five assists across all competitions.
However, he later struggled for regular minutes in the squad. Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba formed an amazing partnership that is almost unbreakable. Saliba and Gabriel were among only six players in the entire squad to reach 50 matches. This virtually left Kiwior sitting on the bench for most of the season. He had only 21 starts last season as a result.
His decline in the squad hierarchy got worse after the arrival of Hincapie, Mosquera and Calafiori. This made him basically the 5th choice player in his position.
But many fans remember his flawless displays in both legs against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals last season. He stepped in for an injured Gabriel and became the defensive anchor in the European tie.
Due to his lack of minutes, the defender eventually spoke directly with Mikel Arteta about his future. He asked the manager for a loan to fulfil his career plans. He later joined Porto on a season-long loan on deadline day in September 2025.
Resurgence in Portugal and the interest from Italy
Since moving to Portugal, the defender has shown a huge revival in form. Local fans have been raving about his elegance and composure on the ball. Portuguese media even described him as playing in a tuxedo due to his refined style.
Kiwior has started 19 of the first 22 league games for Porto this season. He has been crucial in Porto keeping 17 clean sheets while conceding only ten goals all season. Moreover, he possesses an 89.8% passing accuracy rate and flawless long balls. This has caught the eye of Juventus scouts.
Reports indicate Juventus want him to compete with or replace Lloyd Kelly. Kelly is an English centre-back who joined the Zebras from Newcastle in 2025. They have been monitoring Kiwior’s progress since his time in Italy with Spezia.
The centre-back looks keen on the move, as it offers a return to familiar settings. Looking forward, his career now looks set to move back to Serie A. It is the league where he first made a name for himself. A move to Juventus would mark the next step in a career that is quietly but clearly back on track.
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Souvik Bose
Souvik Bose is a junior football writer at Football Express, where he contributes articles focused on ongoing developments and discussions from the football world. His work involves covering news stories, key talking points, and the narratives that shape how fans engage with the sport.At Football Express, Souvik focuses on delivering football coverage that is timely, informative, and accessible to readers following the game closely. His writing reflects a deep interest in the evolving culture of football and the stories that emerge around the sport’s biggest moments.
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