Arsenal Transfer News: Arsenal’s Polish centre-back Jakub Kiwior has attracted transfer interest from Juventus ahead of this summer, with Italian outlet Tuttosport reporting that the Serie A giants are monitoring the 26-year-old following his strong loan spell at FC Porto.
The defender moved to Porto in the final days of last summer’s transfer window on an initial loan with an obligation to buy worth around £24 million, as the Sun confirmed. That obligation clause effectively seals his exit from the Emirates, meaning Arsenal stand to bank £23m once his permanent transfer to Porto is finalised; a modest profit on the £20m they paid Spezia in January 2023.
Juventus Eye Jakub Kiwior As Arsenal Transfer News Confirms Porto Obligation
Kiwior served Arsenal competently across two and a half seasons, making 68 appearances in all competitions without ever cementing a first-team berth. With Myles Lewis-Skelly emerging at left-back and William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães forming an untouchable defensive partnership, a regular starting position always remained just beyond his grasp.
His departure, therefore made logical sense for all parties, and Porto have reaped the benefits. In the 2025/26 Liga Portugal season, Kiwior has averaged a FotMob rating of 7.49, contributed 1 assist across 1,593 minutes, and kept 12 clean sheets in 15 league appearances. He has featured in more than 30 matches across all competitions as Porto sit top of the Primeira Liga table.
Arsenal retain a sell-on clause worth approximately €2m (£1.7m), payable should Porto sell the defender onward; meaning any future Juventus deal would still deliver a minor financial return to north London.
Is This The End Of The Road For Kiwior In Arsenal Transfer News Circles And What Does It Mean For The Gunners?
The honest answer from an Arsenal perspective is that Kiwior’s exit represents a clean, financially sensible clearout, but one that quietly highlights a recurring issue. Left-footed central defenders remain rare in the European market, and Porto reportedly value him at around €35m, given that scarcity. Arsenal sold him for considerably less.
His biggest strength has always been his composure in possession and his aerial ability from a left-sided centre-back position, traits that suit both Porto’s build-up system and Juventus’ structural back three. Kiwior’s weakness, however, remains his inability to dominate in one-on-one situations against quick forwards; something that made him a liability in high-pressing Premier League encounters and kept him off Arteta’s teamsheet. His clean sheet ratio of 80% in the Primeira Liga this season does flatter the numbers slightly, given the standard of opposition in Portugal compared to the Premier League.
Juventus are open to adjusting their squad at the end of the campaign, with Lloyd Kelly among those who could leave Turin, creating a vacancy that Kiwior fits neatly. His familiarity with Serie A from his Spezia days, combined with his 41 Poland caps, brings international credibility to any move, making the profile attractive for the Bianconeri.
What should the Gunners do?
In terms of what Arsenal should do — nothing. The obligation clause removes any decision-making burden from them. The sell-on fee is minor, the profit modest, and the squad has moved forward. Piero Hincapie arrived from Bayer Leverkusen to fill a similar defensive utility role, and the current Arsenal transfer news landscape points clearly toward reinforcing the attack rather than revisiting defensive depth.
The prediction here is that Juventus will complete this deal in the summer. Porto will sell once they see a profit, the player wants Champions League football ahead of the World Cup, and Juventus have the financial pull to make it happen.
