Arsenal summer exit announced hours before Champions League showdown with Atletico Madrid

Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior will join FC Porto on a permanent deal at the end of the season.

The newly-crowned Portuguese champions will pay around £14.7million for the 26-year-old with a further £4.31m in possible add-ons.

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Kiwior is nearing the end of a successful season-long loan at Porto having made 25 appearances for the club.

The news of his permanent deal was revealed by the Portuguese club just hours before Arsenal’s crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Porto also confirmed that they have inserted a £60.4m release clause into his contract.

The statement read: “FC Porto exercised their option to buy 100% of the Polish international’s rights, signing him until 2030.

“FC Porto has exercised the purchase option stipulated in the loan agreement with Arsenal FC and will now permanently own the sporting registration rights and 100% of the economic rights of Jakub Kiwior for a fixed fee of €17million (£14.7m), plus a maximum variable remuneration of £5million (£4.31m) depending on the achievement of certain objectives.

“Arsenal FC will retain a fixed amount of €2 million in any potential future transfer of the player.

“It is further informed that FC Porto has signed a contract with the Polish international defender valid until June 2030, with a release clause of €70m (£60.4m).

“Arsenal FC will assume responsibility for the solidarity mechanism due to third parties, and FC Porto declares that this transfer did not involve any intermediary intervention.”

The Gunners paid Italian side Spezia £20m for Kiwior’s services in January 2023.

He went on to make 68 appearances for Arsenal but slipped down the pecking order after boss Mikel Arteta opted to bolster his defence last summer with the signings of Cristian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie.

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It led to the Polish centre-back making the move to Portugal where he played a key role in ending Porto’s four-year title drought.

Last November, Kiwior disclosed details of a discussion he had held with Arteta regarding his desire to leave the north London club.

He told the Polish FA’s website: “We already knew then that I would go on loan to Porto.

“The coach emphasised how big the club was and wished me luck. The earlier conversation, when I asked for the loan, was more difficult.

“I’d never done this before, but I felt the time had come to speak with him face to face. He understood me and supported me.”

After lifting the Portuguese title on Sunday evening, Arsenal sent the defender a classy message of congratulations via the club’s website.

It read: “Congratulations from all of us at Arsenal go to Jakub Kiwior, who lifted the Liga Portugal title with Porto after a 1-0 win over Alverca on Sunday night.”

The Gunners will fight for a place in the Champions League final on Tuesday night after the first-leg against Atletico finished 1-1 in Spain.