The Polish defender has been a key figure for the Portuguese champions this season.
Jakub Kiwior’s chapter in Portugal is not over yet. On Tuesday, FC Porto announced that they had purchased 100% of his rights for €17 million. There is a potential €5 million in add-ons if conditions are met. The Polish defender signed a contract that expires in June 2030, with a release clause of €70 million.
Kiwior, 26, moved to the Primeira Liga side on loan from Arsenal last summer. He immediately became a key player, starting 26 games as Porto won the league for the first time since 2022. With two games to spare, the Dragões sit nine points ahead of José Mourinho’s unbeaten Benfica side.
Porto themselves have only lost once in the league this season, a 2-1 loss against Casa Pia in February. Kiwior did not play, as he was rested following a win over Rangers. That win over Rangers clinched Porto’s spot in the Europa League Round of 16. The club would go on to advance past VfB Stuttgart before being eliminated by Nottingham Forest in the quarter-finals.
The move marks a big turnaround in Kiwior’s career after being relegated to a bench role in England.
After impressing in Slovakia for FK Železiarne Podbrezová and subsequently MŠK Žilina, the young defender moved to Italy, signing for Spezia. He quickly established himself as one of the most promising players in Serie A and became a full international for Poland.
In January 2023, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal came knocking, spending a reported €20 million to bring the versatile defender in. However, with Gabriel Magalhães already Arteta’s preferred left-sided center-back, Kiwior was limited to sporadic appearances, usually at left-back, in his first season-and-a-half with the club.
In 2025, with Gabriel sidelined, Kiwior stepped in as Arsenal finished second, well shy of champions Liverpool. The writing was already on the wall that Kiwior might not be in London much longer, but the signing of Piero Hincapié sealed his fate. Hincapié, like 2024 signing Riccardo Calafiori, fit the role as a left-sided center-back or left-back that Kiwior filled.
Arsenal’s loss was FC Porto’s gain. Left-footed defender Otávio had moved to Paris FC, leaving the Portuguese side searching for a replacement. Having signed Jan Bednarek only months earlier from Southampton, Porto seized the chance to double up on Polish defenders. On deadline day, Kiwior moved on loan to Portugal with an option to buy.
The signing has undoubtedly been a success, with Kiwior leading the club to the league title. It’s no surprise that Porto elected to make the move permanent, although it’s a steep price to pay for a Primeira Liga side. Kiwior slots in as one of the club’s top ten most expensive signings of all time, but if last season’s performances are any indicator, it will be well worth it.
Kiwior was not the only Polish star in Porto this season. Bednarek, like Kiwior, has rebuilt his reputation as a top defender in Portugal. The 30-year-old endured a mixed spell in England with Southampton and was ultimately relegated in his final season before jumping ship to Porto. It was Bednarek who scored the winner against FC Alverca on Saturday to clinch the title.
Oskar Pietuszewski rounds out Porto’s Polish trio. The 17-year-old joined from Jagiellonia Białystok in January and has quickly become a regular. He scored three goals and assisted four in eleven starts, including the opener in a 2-2 draw with rivals Benfica. He also earned his first Poland call-up, although a loss to Sweden means the Biało-Czerwoni will not be in North America this summer.
Porto have also announced that Bernardo Lima, 18, has extended his contract until 2031. The young midfielder is a promising talent and was part of the Portugal team that won the U17 World Cup in November. He has not yet made his debut for the first team.
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Image via @FCPorto (X).
