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Named Serie B MVP of the Week, Adrian Benedyczak capped off what has been quite the season for the young striker.
With his two goals earning Parma a 2-0 win against Brescia and secure a play-off place in the process, Benedyczak took his total in all competitions this season to 8 goals and 2 assists in 30 appearances, which isn’t bad considering he’s been playing most of the season slightly out of position on the left wing.
Benedyczak has somewhat fallen out of most people’s memories even though he’s had a fairly decent two seasons at Parma and is still only 22 years old. Considering that last season, his first in Italy, he had 6 goals and an assists in 31 appearances, and people were already beginning to forget about what is obviously still a very talented player as we have seen this year.
How likely is it he’ll play in the Italian top flight next season? Well, Parma have just as good a chance in the play-off round as any other team, given their very strong end of season form, and Benedyczak would be assured of minutes if he stays at Parma regardless of which division they find themselves in.
Alternatively, having had a strong season in Serie B, another promoted team or existing Serie A team might wish to spend what would likely be a nominal fee to lure him to a squad role or starting role with them. Given Genoa and Frosinone are already confirmed to be promoted, would either of them take a chance on Benedyczak? It’s somewhat unlikely, and more likely is that if Spezia retain their top flight status that they would consider Benedyczak another Polish player to add to their ranks.
I’ve already spoken about how Spezia is positioning itself as a hub for Polish talent in Serie A, already having sold Jakub Kiwior on to Arsenal for a tidy profit and really allowing Bartłomiej Drągowski’s talents in net to shine this season. Spezia also have Arkadiusz Reca and Szymon Żurkowski in their ranks, and whilst Reca has had a decent season Żurkowski’s time in Liguria has so far been marked by injury problems since joining in January.
However, the January signing most pertinent in the case of a possible move for Benedyczak would be Przemysław Wiśniewski, who Spezia plucked from Serie B side Venezia as something of a Kiwior successor. With Italian clubs constantly under financial pressure, it makes sense for a club like Spezia to poach Serie B talent, and especially Polish talent as we’ve established. It’s my belief that if Parma fail in their promotion bid, then Spezia may well enquire as to Benedyczak’s services.
Of course, Spezia are clinging on to their top flight status currently so their place in Serie A is hardly assured, and their will be a relative exodus of their best players should they be relegated, making the attraction for Benedyczak somewhat moot.
I suggested earlier that Benedyczak has been playing out of position in a sense on the left wing, but actually he is being moulded into that role exceptionally well. He strikes me as taking up similar positions and a style of play to Cody Gakpo whilst he was becoming a hot commodity at PSV Eindhoven, being a tall winger mostly cutting in on his right foot from the left wing.
I’m not saying that Benedyczak will have anything like the same career Gakpo is on course to, nor that he is guaranteed to play in Serie A next season, but to me Benedyczak is absolutely ready to play in a top European league, be it for Parma in Serie A or elsewhere.
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