"It was exactly": 25yo star decided to leave Arsenal because of Gabriel & Saliba
Arsenal had a productive summer transfer window with eight signings.
The Gunners primarily focused on adding quality in the final third, but they also brought in a couple of central defenders.
Cristhian Mosquera was signed during pre-season, while Piero Hincapie arrived on an initial loan before the deadline.
Hincapie’s arrival coincided with the departure of Jakub Kiwior to Porto.
The Poland international joined the Primeira Liga giants on loan with an obligation to buy for an initial €17 million.
There has since been speculation that Arsenal decided to offload Kiwior, but the defender has now disclosed the truth.
The former Spezia man revealed that Arsenal did not want to let him go, and it took a long time for the club to agree to the transfer.
He added that manager Mikel Arteta did not want him to leave either, but he made the personal choice to move on from the Gunners.
The Pole highlighted that he wanted to play. His chances were small with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes ahead of him in the pecking order in central defence.
He told TVP Sport: “I laughed at those stories because it was exactly the opposite. The club didn’t want to let me go and it took a long time for them to agree to the transfer.
“I was valued there; no one wanted to get rid of me. Arteta didn’t want me to leave for Portugal either, so I never felt unwanted.
“The decision to leave was entirely mine. I wanted to play, but with Gabriel and Saliba ahead of me, the chances were small.
“I convinced him [Arteta] myself. I went to talk to him and explained how I saw everything.
“He understood my ambitions and my desire to play, and he thanked me for how I behaved as both a person and a player.”
Kiwior had a mixed start to his Gunners career after arriving from Spezia, but he stepped up his performances last season.
The Polish ace was highlighted as a potential weak link after Gabriel’s season-ending hamstring injury earlier this year in April.
However, the 25-year-old stood out with his performances in the Champions League quarter-finals against Real Madrid.
It was rather William Saliba, who was guilty of making a high-profile error during the second leg against Los Blancos on the road.
Kiwior had a superb end to the previous campaign, and it was unsurprising that he chose to pursue a new challenge elsewhere.
He was unlikely to be guaranteed a regular starting role in central defence with Saliba and Gabriel ahead of him in the pecking order.
With the arrival of Mosquera and Hincapie, it made sense for Kiwior to move on. He has now become an undisputed starter for Porto.
Arsenal will stand to benefit from his exit in the long term. Porto are obliged to sign him for €17m. The fee could rise to up to €27m.
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