Arsenal
Arsenal confirm £20m Kiwior sale as Porto make transfer permanent
Arsenal have finalised the permanent sale of defender Jakub Kiwior to FC Porto. The deal is worth an initial £14.7 million, with potential add-ons reaching £4.31 million, bringing the total package to roughly £19 million. Porto confirmed they triggered the buy option included in the loan deal Kiwior signed last summer.
The Polish international has put pen to paper on a contract through June 2030, which includes a hefty £60.4 million release clause. Arsenal have also secured a flat €2 million cut of any future transfer fee. Porto noted that no agents or intermediaries were used in the negotiations, and Arsenal will handle any solidarity payments due to the player’s former clubs.
Kiwior, 26 years old, moved to North London from Spezia in January 2023 for £20 million. He played 68 times for the Gunners before heading to Portugal. He enjoyed a successful season at Porto, making 25 appearances and helping the club secure the Primeira Liga title this past weekend, an achievement Arsenal acknowledged with a congratulatory post on their site. This transfer wraps up a stint that started with plenty of hype but saw his minutes dry up after Mikel Arteta brought in Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie last summer.
Liverpool have been told to complete the signing of this La Liga ‘goal machine’
Do Arsenal actually come out ahead on the Kiwior deal?
Looking at the numbers, Arsenal haven’t quite recouped their original £20 million investment, so it technically counts as a loss. That said, Arteta needed to trim the squad. Keeping a player who didn’t fit into the long-term plans for the 2026-27 season would have just caused a headache.
Kiwior is a talented defender; he’s great at reading the play and looks comfortable bringing the ball out of defence, but he has struggled at times with his positioning and aerial battles when tested by top-tier attackers. Porto is a great option for him, as the league isn’t quite as relentless every week. For Arsenal, clearing the wage bill and opening up a squad spot is probably more valuable than fighting for every last pound as they prepare for a massive 2026-27 campaign.
Saka with 9/10 | Arsenal Player Ratings from victorious night at Emirates against Atletico Madrid