Southampton confirmed the signing of Jan Bednarek from Lech Poznan this afternoon.
Twitter: #SaintsFC is delighted to announce the signing of defender Jan Bednarek from @lechpoznan!
#SaintBednarek https://t.co/0ZJ5y5MTfI (@SouthamptonFC)
The 21-year-old has signed a contract with the club until 2022 and is set to join up with his new teammates near the end of the month for pre-season training.
Bednarek signs for a fee rumoured to be worth around €6m, which is a record sale for any Ekstraklasa team.
Given the obscurity of the acquisition, Southampton supporters can be forgiven for failing to boast a knowledge of what Bednarek has to offer.
So, in order to allow us a better, more informative insight as to who Saints have signed ahead of the 2017/18 season, I’ve spoken to Polish football expert Kamil Rogólski.
Kamil answered our burning questions regarding Bednarek, and took the time out to deliver us with some highly in-depth answers.
Here’s what he thinks Bednarek will offer to Saints!
Firstly, is Bednarek worth the reported fee of around €6m?
In Poland, we’ve had a lot of discussion about the price for Bednarek. All we know that he hasn’t been called up to the first Polish National team. The cause is very simple. Jan Bednarek hasn’t got enough experience in comparison with Kamil Glik or Michał Pazdan, who are very well known in Europe.
As you probably know, the reported fee makes Bednarek the most expensive player in history of the Ekstraklasa. My point of view is: times have changed. We can’t right now say without any doubt that Bednarek is worth that money or not. Time will tell. Regardless of that, Lech Poznań have already sold worthy players abroad.
- Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich
- Łukasz Teodorczyk – Dynamo Kyiv (the top scorer in Belgium last season)
- Karol Linetty – Sampdoria (already linked with Milan)
Lech’s authorities says that they want to be like “Dinamo Zagreb in this region”. That means that previous great transfers from Lech Poznań automatically raises the prices for the players in the future. Also, to be honest, €6m for a Premier League club means almost nothing.
In summary, when comparing the deal with the past ones, €6m is a very big price. On the other hand, all we know that transfer market is becoming more and more crazy. Jan Bednarek is just another example of that phenomenon.
Twitter:
| Take a look at how Twitter reacted to this man signing for #SaintsFC!
https://t.co/Txbb5iXXos https://t.co/oB5SpVTDQe (@ReadSouthampton)
Can he break into Saints’ first-team plans next season?
I don’t think so. I was talking with Southampton (and Liverpool) fans and they asked me few times if the transfer of Bednarek automatically means the club will sell Virgil van Dijk, or if he is simply a replacement for José Fonte!
I don’t know Southampton FC’s strategy but I swear that Bednarek isn’t ready for being the replacement of anyone from the first squad. Bednarek is compared by the fans with Van Dijk when he played at Celtic. Perhaps wrongly though, because Van Dijk was playing Champions League football at Celtic. In comparison with him, Bednarek has done almost nothing. His only international experience comes from playing in Poland’s international youth teams.
What are his strengths?
The main strength is that he’s in a very good, impressive physical condition. From early years, Bednarek has impressed physically. There is always going to be an anxiety about his adaptation into the nature of English football, though.
Jan Bednarek is very confident, and should have zero problems with adaptation in new situations. As you saw during his presentation, he speaks good English.
Twitter:
#SaintBednarek We’ve been speaking to Jan Bednarek following his move to #SaintsFC: https://t.co/mjUHI6DMIz (@SouthamptonFC)
As for the aspects of football, Bednarek is very strong in the air and, as I mentioned, has a big physical presence as a defender. What is important with him too, is that he is good during counter-attacks. He can send very good through or long balls. Of course he is young and developing, and experience in England for sure will make him stronger
What are his weaknesses?
I think that Jan Bednarek has a serious problem with dealing with highly pressurised situations on the pitch, like big games. Also, with tactical changes and shifts. This is what he should learn in England. It will come with experience. Fans of Southampton FC for sure noted this during the U21 European Championships. Also, I suppose he should work with his timing. Even if he is strong in the air, he must learn to take profits from his power.
Do you think he’s ready for the Premier League yet?
Ekstraklasa, in comparison with the Premier League, is like amateur level. I’m really sorry to write that but this is true. This is a general problem with transfers from the Polish league.
I’d be more calm about Bednarek in England if he had greater international experience. Foreigners ask me, “Kamil, how is possible that someone like Robert Lewandowski moved to the Bundesliga from Poland and so quickly became so important for Borussia Dortmund?” This is simple. When Robert Lewandowski left Lech Poznań, he was the first striker for Polish national team and played great campaign with Lech in the UEFA Cup. That is why he has been so successful – he has had international experience.
Twitter:
| Jan Bednarek in #SaintsFC’s new 2017/18 home shirt! https://t.co/Tty9b4WW0K (@ReadSouthampton)
International level makes players more confident ahead of moving abroad. I wrote about his strengths but he has shown them only in Poland and it always will be a problem, because Ekstraklasa in Europe means almost nothing.
But regardless of that, from Ekstraklasa comes a lot worthy players who today represent very big European clubs – Bednarek could be the next one.
I really like to compare Bednarek with Kamil Glik. When Glik moved to Palermo from Piast Gliwice, everyone was saying that Glik hasn’t got a chance. So he went on loan to Bari, who were relegated from Serie A, then joined Torino, where Glik has become a legend. Last season, he helped Monaco to the semi-final of the Champions League.
Seriously, I see a lot of similarities between those two players. In Poland popular are words that “Bednarek is the representative of Lewandowski’s generation”. Lewandowski’s generation means the players who are not afraid about new challenges and have no fear ahead of joining famous European clubs. They are aware of their own class and have good attitudes.
Personally, I think that he isn’t ready right now but he is convinced that he, himself, is.
Do you think he’ll be a success at Saints?
Southampton FC made good deal. They’ve bought a player in good age. I won’t be shocked if Southampton will send him on loan to the Championship. This is what they should do automatically. Southampton FC for sure knows about the huge difference between both leagues and the first time in the Premier League could be very painful for Bednarek. If Southampton have a plan for his career, I’m not afraid about Bednarek’s future.
Twitter:
| Jan Bednarek has described his #SaintsFC move as a dream come true.
https://t.co/fE9GP1kRcd https://t.co/JNjJxDuYpE (@ReadSouthampton)
Southampton’s supporters could be sure that Bednarek will be working hard for the club, doing everything for their shirt. Bednarek has been working already very hard for his transfer to England. Dreams have come true for the young Pole. Supporters should give him their trust. I swear Bednarek deserves it.
I’d like to sincerely thank Kamil for taking the time out to give us such a fabulous insight.
You can follow him on Twitter here – @K_Rogolski
