'It was tough': Jakub Kiwior reveals details of 'difficult' Arsenal goodbye | OneFootball

Polish defender believes he improved greatly with the Gunners as he aims to nail down left-back berth at Porto

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The Poland international departed the Gunners on transfer deadline day to join Porto as part of a loan move that is set to be made permanent next summer.

Arsenal are due to bank around £22.5million by selling Kiwior and have replaced him by bringing in Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen.

Kiwior had been with Arsenal since January 2023 and was a regular towards the end of last season due to Gabriel being out injured.

The 25-year-old has admitted it was tough to walk away from the Emirates Stadium, but he will now get more regular game time at Porto.

“It was difficult to say goodbye to Arsenal, because I didn’t know when it would actually happen,” Kiwior is quoted as saying by Portuguese newspaper O Jogo.

“If I had known the exact day in advance, I would have had time to prepare. In the last three days there, I didn’t know which would actually be my last.

“Fabrizio Romano launched the ‘here we go’ campaign, and I started receiving dozens of messages and calls congratulating me.

“I was starting training... the players looked at it on their phones and asked me why I was training when it (the deal) was already closed.

“I refused to say goodbye there because I still didn’t have any information about what might or might not happen.

“The next day, I knew I could say goodbye again. I went to the pitch to say goodbye to my teammates and the coach (Mikel Arteta).

“They set up a farewell tunnel, and it was tough... not everyone I wanted to say goodbye to was there, so I still had to make a few phone calls.”

Kiwior played at both left-back and in the heart of defence for Arsenal during his two-and-a-half years at the club.

He is now hoping for a more settled position at Porto and revealed exactly where he wants to play.

“I feel more comfortable playing left-back,” he said. “My experience at Arsenal has given me great quality with the ball at my feet.

“It’s a great pleasure for me to sign for FC Porto because I know the history and know this is a great club, so I’m very happy.

“I was really looking forward to getting here and discovering everything about the club. This isn’t the best of times, because we’re on international break, and I have to wait another week to meet the fans and understand the atmosphere.”