We’re just over hallway through the winter transfer window, and whilst there has been some intriguing movement of Polish players at the higher levels of the game, (for example Bartosz Bereszyński’s move to Napoli) this article will talk about three young Polish talents that may be leaving or coming to the Ekstraklasa in the next 14 days.
Szymon Włodarczyk
Image via Mikolaj Barbanell/Shutterstock
Given that Włodarczyk is only halfway through his first season as a player at Górnik Zabrze, joining on a free from Legia Warszawa, talk of a January exit might seem premature. However, as Fabrizio Romano pointed out when speaking to Tomasz Włodarczyk (no relation) on Meczyki last week, some big names are monitoring the 20 year-old striker. The alleged interest from Celtic, Freiburg and Anderlecht is reported to be the most concrete, as well as two unnamed Serie A clubs.
Górnik captain Lukas Podolski has been keen to talk up Włodarczyk whenever he has the chance, so it’s not surprising that Europe’s scouts have been paying attention to him. Włodarczyk has seven goals in fifteen appearances this season, so a move to a top five league may be beyond him in this window, but if Celtic or Anderlecht came along with a reasonable bid he could continue his development in Scotland or Belgium for the rest of the season.
Mateusz Kowalski
The 17 year-old striker at Jagiellonia Białystok has looked a promising talent, with two goals in just under 200 minutes of football so far this season. According to Tomasz Włodarczyk, Serie A club Udinese have contacted Jagiellonia to try and strike a deal to secure Kowalski’s talent.
It’s unlikely that Kowalski would be going straight into the Serie A squad; more likely he would end up playing for the development squad in the Primavera, similar to Dariusz Stalmach has done since joining he set-up at AC Milan from Górnik last August.
To me this seems an understandable move if it happens. Kowalski gets experience of a new footballing culture and a pathway to a decent club in a strong league, and given Udinese’s ties to Watford, the chance to play in England as well should his development dictate.
Mateusz Musialowski
Image via Liverpool FC
Musialowski has been high in-demand from Ekstraklasa clubs keen to take the 19 year-old winger on loan from parent club Liverpool, particularly over the summer. This interest has somewhat cooled, and according to the Liverpool Echo, League One side Bristol Rovers are looking to take Musialowski on loan for the rest of the season. So strong is Rovers’ interest that manager Joey Barton personally came to watch Musialowski play for Liverpool’s U-21 side.
However, Śląsk Wrocław’s interest in Musialowski is thought to be long-standing; they had an approach for Musialowski turned down over the summer and it is thought that if Bristol Rovers have a loan offer accepted by Liverpool, Śląsk will look to cut in with an offer that will secure Musialowski’s services and hijack any potential deal.
Musialowski is at the stage of his career where he needs to start playing senior football, and League One and the Ekstraklasa are not a million miles away in terms of quality, so it would most likely come down to player preference and whether or not Śląsk can offer terms more favourable to Liverpool than Bristol can.
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