Ex-Arsenal star reveals all on difficult Mikel Arteta talks before transfer

Former Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior had to convince boss Mikel Arteta to allow him to leave the Gunners this summer. The Poland international completed a deadline day move to Porto, initially on loan, and the Portuguese side hold an obligation to buy him for £23million at the end of the season.

Arsenalsigned defenders Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie this summer to bolster their ranks. Kiwior already had to compete with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes for a spot in Arteta's starting lineup, a partnership recognised as the best in the Premier League by many.

But despite having such riches at his disposal, Arteta was not keen on allowing Kiwor to depart. The 25-year-old was far from forced into leaving. "The club didn’t want to let me go and it took a long time for them to agree to the transfer," he told TVP Sport. "I was valued there; no one wanted to get rid of me.

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"Arteta didn’t want me to leave for Portugal either, so I never felt unwanted." He added: "The decision to leave was entirely mine. I wanted to play, but with Gabriel and Saliba ahead of me, the chances were small.

Kiwior revealed that talks with Arteta were required in order to facilitate a move away from the Emirates. The versatile defender had to convince the Spanish coach.

"I convinced him myself," he said. "I went to talk to him and explained how I saw everything. He understood my ambitions and my desire."

Nevertheless, Porto had to prove persuasive with their own offer. The 2004 Champions League winners were determined in negotiations with player and club.

Kiwior said: "It was FC Porto who convinced me. At one point, they were calling every day. They fought hard and never gave up, even after several rejections from Arsenal."

The former Spezia ace has been able to settle quickly at Porto, linking up with international team-mate Jan Bednarek "I had many offers, but when I saw Jan Bednarek had joined, I told myself: if it works out, it will be great, and it really is," he said.

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