Andrea Berta will be relieved that the transfer window is now closed, having had an incredibly busy summer at Arsenal.
As far as first transfer windows go, there were barely any faults in what Arsenal did over the summer.
Berta welcomed eight new players that Mikel Arteta desperately needed, as well as parting ways with those who were no longer needed.
On a chaotic final day for the sporting director, Arsenal sanctioned seven deadline day deals, including five loan departures.
- READ MORE: How much Mikel Arteta has spent as Arsenal manager after latest £250m transfer spending spree
Jakub Kiwior could’ve been convinced to stay at Arsenal
Just before time ran out, Oleksandr Zinchenko signed for Nottingham Forest while Reiss Nelson also completed a Premier League loan move, signing for Brentford.
After a lot of speculation, Jakub Kiwior joined FC Porto, agreeing on a loan with a buy option, seeing the Pole leave Arsenal.
Kiwior’s exit was perhaps the most speculated, as the defender showed his quality last season when Gabriel Magalhaes was injured.
It was, however, well documented that Kiwior wanted to leave Arsenal in search of more game time, but a fresh stance on the 25-year-old’s decision has surfaced.
“There was an argument to just keep Jakub Kiwior,” journalist James Benge said on Charles Watts’ Inside Arsenal podcast.
“He was open to the right move, but he was not hammering the door down, and he could have been convinced to stay.”
Benge made it clear that Arsenal could’ve been in a position to keep Kiwior, despite the player’s wishes to secure regular game time.
In an ideal world, Arsenal would’ve included Kiwior in Piero Hincapie’s transfer; however, Bayer Leverkusen were not interested in the Poland international, paving his way to Porto.
How the Arsenal squad reacted to Kiwior’s transfer
Having been at Arsenal since 2023, Kiwior has grown so much as a player.
It wasn’t always easy for the 25-year-old in England, but he left as a defender who had proven his worth against some of the very best last season.
It’s fair to say the Arsenal squad were sad to see Kiwior leave, as messages flooded in on social media in response to the defender’s Instagram post.
Kiwior wrote: “I would like to thank all the people and fans I met along my journey at Arsenal. These were unforgettable moments that will stay with me forever.”
There were thousands of messages sent to the £20m signing, including the following from his Arsenal teammates.
- William Saliba: My guy we will miss you
- Riccardo Calafiori: Kubacitoooo
- Martin Odegaard: ❤️
- Mikel Merino: all the best my man!
- Ethan Nwaneri: ❤️
- Declan Rice: Monster! Good luck brother
- Jurrien Timber: ❤️
Kiwior got his wish of becoming a firm starter at a top European club, leaving Arsenal with nothing but well wishes.
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