Arsenal and Porto have held talks over a summer deal for Polish defender Jakub Kiwior, but the Gunners are yet to receive a suitable offer from the Portuguese giants, Charles Watts has told Sports Mole.
The 25-year-old was one of several senior players omitted from the matchday squad for last weekend's 1-0 win over Manchester United, having been bumped down the defensive pecking order by Cristhian Mosquera following the Spaniard's arrival from Valencia.
Kiwior excelled in Gabriel Magalhaes's place last season when the Brazilian was sidelined with a hamstring injury, playing a critical role in the Gunners' progression to the Champions League semi-finals, but he has now returned to his peripheral squad role.
Kiwior is still under contract at Arsenal for another three years, but Watts is expecting the former Spezia man to head for the exit door and has confirmed that discussions have been held with Porto, who have also signed his international teammate Jan Bednarek from Southampton this summer.
“Arsenal have to sell some players," Watts said. "I wouldn't be massively keen to rush Kiwior out the door because as he showed last season, he's very, very useful. But what the player wants is really important in this situation as well.
Arsenal must make "good money" for Kiwior amid Porto transfer talks
Arsenal's Jakub Kiwior pictured on June 10, 2025
“He’s getting to an age where he absolutely needs to be playing. He's shown what he can do at the very, very top level. If he wants to go, I don't think Arsenal stand in his way. The fact he's not even in the matchday squad for the opening game of the season speaks volumes. If Calafiori can stay fit, that covers for where Kiwior played last season.
“Mosquera can play on the left-hand side as well. The cover is there, the quality is there to be able to let go of a defender. Speaking as a fan, you want the strongest possible squad. But from Kiwior’s point of view, is he going to want to just train every week and then not make a matchday squad? Of course he's not.
“But they can’t give him away. If you're selling someone like Kiwior on the back of the season he had, you've got to make some good money for him. I know there have been talks with Porto, but nothing that's come to any offer that Arsenal are relatively interested in. We’ll see what happens, but the likelihood is that he will go.”
Kiwior was one of seven notable absentees from Mikel Arteta's squad last weekend, as Christian Norgaard - who was suffering from a knock - Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, Karl Hein, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Oleksandr Zinchenko were not selected for the opening Premier League weekend either.
The latter has now entered the last 12 months of his contract with Arsenal, where he has been relegated to third-choice left-back behind Myles Lewis-Skelly and Old Trafford match-winner Riccardo Calafiori, so a summer exit has unsurprisingly been mooted for him as well.
Why Arsenal may struggle to sell Zinchenko this summer
Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko on on January 22, 2025
Turkish giants Fenerbahce - managed by former Chelsea, Man United and Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho - are reported to have taken an interest in Zinchenko, who earned some minutes in the Arsenal midfield last season but is nowhere near first choice there either.
However, Watts has warned that the sale of Zinchenko may be more difficult than the sale of Kiwior, as the Ukraine international is on a hefty wage packet of £150,000 a week and could wait to see what options are available to him on a free transfer in 2026.
“If everyone stays fit, I don't see where he plays," Watts added. "He didn't get opportunities last season, even when everyone was injured, so you may as well get some money in for him.
“It’s not the easiest one to do because Zinchenko is a good earner. He's got a year left in his contract. If he sees that out, he's going to have a hell of a lot more options available to him. So as much as Arsenal would definitely be open to letting Zinchenko go, a lot of it depends on him and the wage demands he would put forward to any interested club.”
One of Zinchenko or Kiwior could force their way into the squad for Saturday's visit of Leeds United, though, as Ben White is doubtful due to a knock he sustained at the Theatre of Dreams last weekend.
> Click here to listen to the full discussion on Kiwior and Zinchenko's Arsenal's futures
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