Mauricio Pellegrino has made his first signing as Southampton manager and it is 21 year old, Jan Bednarek from Lech Poznan. The Polish under-21 defender has been snapped up for a reported fee of £5 million on a 5 year deal.
The centre back has spent the entirety of his career at Lech Poznan, making 27 league appearances last season. Many will speculate that bringing in Bednarek will have been as a potential replacement for Virgil van Dijk, who is heavily linked for a move away from the Saints this summer, however this is probably not the case. With that said, Bednarek has been quoted saying:
“I am so happy that I could join a club like Southampton. This is the moment I have worked for that makes my dreams come true. I think it’s a good step for me, because I have heard Southampton is such a good club for young players, so I can improve here.”
Fantasy Football Potential
As mentioned above, many will have thought that Jan Bednarek has been brought in for a potential replacement for van Dijk, however this signing is more likely to be one for the future. If Virgil van Dijk does choose to stay then Jan Bednarek will likely be the 4th choice centre back behind Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens also.
That being said, if he does get a chance then the youngster does have bags of talent and will be looking to grasp any chance he gets in the first team. Last season was his ‘break through’ season for Lech Poznan, making 27 league appearances, scoring 1 goal and picking up 9 yellow cards during this time.
With that all this said, Jan Bednarek will likely come in around 4.0m as he will most likely be a bench warmer, however he should be monitored, as if there are any chances of him making the first team, then there could be a very cheap route into the Saints defence, just like Stephens and Yoshida were last year.
If you have enjoyed this early view of the fantasy potential of those moving teams this transfer window, be sure to check the others here.
Written by Jacob (@JacobJull)
