Reports were false!
This summer, Kiwior joined Porto on a season-long loan, which has an option to buy clause included. Reports suggested at the time that Arsenal were desperate to offload the Polish international as they made way for new signings.
However, this has now proven to be false by the defender himself who revealed that Arteta was keen on keeping him at the club after a number of impressive performances last season.
“I laughed at that information because it was the exact opposite,” Kiwior told Polish broadcaster TVP Sport.
“Arsenal didn’t want to let me leave London and didn’t agree to a transfer for a long time. I was valued for the player and footballer I was. Nobody wanted to get rid of me.
“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.”
Arteta had to be convinced
The 25-year-old was far from forced into leaving and he even stated that he had to convince Arteta to let him leave, in a bid to gain valuable experience away from North London. Kiwior’s performances have been so impressive that his side are actually yet to concede a goal with him on the pitch as he cruises in the Portuguese league.
“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.
“He accepted my reasoning, spoke with the sporting director, and things moved quickly after that.”