Jakub Kiwior has given a detailed account of how his summer move from Arsenal to FC Porto really unfolded, and made clear it was his decision, not Mikel Arteta’s.

Speaking to TVP Sport, the Polish defender insisted that contrary to some reports, Arsenal wanted to keep him. “I laughed at those stories because it was exactly the opposite,” he said. 

“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,” he revealed.

Kiwior said he personally approached Arteta to explain his situation. “I convinced him 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.” 

According to Kiwior, the process accelerated once Arteta recognised his professionalism. “He accepted my reasoning,...