Arsenal have reportedly agreed a deal that will see cover defender Jakub Kiwior transfer to Portuguese giants FC Porto.
The Gunners have sought to revamp their centre back depth this summer, bringing in Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia and the runners-up for the last three Premier League seasons are working on a deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapié.
Hincapié was also a target for Tottenham Hotspur until his preference for Arsenal became clear early in negotiations. The Ecuador international is understood to have agreed personal terms over a prospective transfer to north London, but a lack of sales this summer needed to be addressed.
Talks to send Kiwior to Porto have been ongoing and it appears an agreement has now been reached. There are, however, conflicting reports over the structure of the deal. Fabrizio Romano reports that a loan with obligation to buy is close to being completed—comprised of a €2 millon loan fee, a further €17 million ((£14.7 million, $19.8 million) in guaranteed money, and up to €10 million more in eventual add-ons. Overall, Arsenal could pocket as much €29 million if that is accurate.
The Athletic make no mention of the loan aspect for Kiwior, stating an agreement has been struck for a guaranteed €25 million plus a further €2 million in add-ons.
As it stands, Kiwior is on course to travel to Porto by Saturday lunchtime to finalise things. The 25-year-old Poland international, recruited from Spezia in 2023, will leave having made 68 appearances across all competitions in two and a half seasons.
Hincapié has a €60 million release clause in his Bayer Leverkusen contract, although Arsenal have been tipped to try and negotiate a loan with obligation to buy that would delay a permanent transfer until next summer, but still promises guaranteed money to the Bundesliga side.
The Gunners also have Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga to offload, ultimately helping avoid contravening UEFA’s squad cost rule, which limits spending on transfers, wages and associated costs to 70% of a club’s revenue.
Marseille in Talks to Sign Oleksandr Zinchenko
Zinchenko could be presented with an exit route to Marseille, The Athletic report—a side managed by former Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi.
The Ligue 1 giants are thought to be exploring a permanent transfer, but being unable to match the versatile Ukrainian’s exiting salary is potentially a problem that would need resolving.
Zinchenko, who started his career as a midfielder, lost his place as Mikel Arteta’s preferred starting left back last season to home-grown Myles Lewis-Skelly. He recently admitted the frustration that he’s felt, going from playing regularly to barely getting on the pitch.
Riccardo Calafiori has started the season at left back, ahead of Lewis-Skelly, which has dropped Zinchenko, who joined from Manchester City in July 2022, further down the pecking order.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Agreed’—Arsenal Nearer to Funding Piero Hincapie Deal, Talks Start Over Second Exit.
