Arsenal agree player transfer hours before Atletico Madrid game

Arsenal are getting set for one of the biggest games of their 2025-26 season but a transfer has been completed on the day of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Atletico Madrid.

The Gunners have one fewer player on their books following the news that Portuguese giants Porto have exercised their option to buy Polish international defender Jakub Kiwior from the Premier League leaders.

Kiwior, 26, joined Arsenal from Italian side Spezia in January 2023 and made 44 Premier League matches over the next two-and-a-half seasons.

Arsenal agreed to send him on loan to Porto with an option to buy last summer and the Dragons announced on Tuesday that they have secured his services and agreed a four-year contract with the former Zilina youngster.

"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 €17 million, plus a maximum variable remuneration of €5 million depending on the achievement of certain objectives," announced Porto.

"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 €70 million."

Arsenal have locked in a sell-on clause that entitles them to a small bonus in the event that Porto sell Kiwior within the duration of his contract.

Kiwior will likely be watching on as Arsenal push to win the Premier League and Champions League this season.

Porto were knocked out of the Europa League at the quarter-final stage by Nottingham Forest but secured their 31st Portuguese league title with a win over Alverca on Saturday.

Jakub Kiwior is a league winner for the first time

Kiwior has been a regular in Francesco Farioli's line-up this season, starting 25 of their 28 Primeira League matches so far and six of the 12 fixtures they played in the Europa League.

It's crunch time without him for Mikel Arteta and the Gunners, who start the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico with the scores level on aggregate after last week's first leg at the Metropolitano.

A final against Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain awaits the winner.

The Gunners are five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table with three matches to play. If they can secure the title, it will be their first since Arsene Wenger's final league win in 2004.