Jakub Kiwior Moves Permanently to Porto on Four-Year Deal — Arsenal Transfer News Summer
Arsenal transfer news summer has its first completed departure. Jakub Kiwior's move to Porto is now permanent after the Portuguese club activated its option to sign the defender on a four-year contract.
Kiwior’s Porto switch
Arsenal said the transfer became permanent after Porto's Liga Portugal title triumph last weekend. Porto agreed a £14million deal for Kiwior that could rise to £19m, ending his stay after a season-long loan.
Kiwior was an unused substitute in Porto's 3-1 defeat at AFS this weekend, a sharp contrast to the title lift that triggered the permanent move. He arrived on loan last year and now leaves Arsenal on a full transfer rather than a temporary deal.
Arsenal’s defensive picture
The move comes as Arsenal close out their season with defensive depth under pressure. Ben White's MCL injury is keeping him out until the end of the season, and Jurrien Timber's fitness remains a concern, which left Declan Rice at right back for the first half of Arsenal's 1-0 win over West Ham on Sunday.
That setup shows why Kiwior's exit lands in the middle of a crowded run-in. Arsenal can still win the Premier League title for the first time since 2004 by taking their final two league matches, and they are also preparing for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. For Porto, the deal turns a loan into a permanent addition; for Arsenal, it trims one defender from a squad already being stretched by injuries and the demands of two competitions.
