Who is Jan Bednarek? We profile the man linked with Southampton
As England U21s prepare to face Poland U21s, we profile Polish defender Jan Bednarek who is being linked to a Southampton move.
The European U21 Championships is in full swing, and the hosts will take on the Young Lions on Thursday, live on Sky Sports 1.
The Poland XI is likely to include Bednarek, with the Daily Echo reporting that the Saints have already made a £5.3m bid for the defender to his current club Lech Poznan.
He could come up against some of his future team-mates this week with five Southampton players in the England squad, but just who is Bednarek?
Club Career
The centre-back has spent the entirety of his short career at Polish Ekstraklasa side Lech Poznan, joining the club as a youth player before breaking into the first team in 2013.
Bednarek had a spell on loan at Gornik Leczna in the 2015/16 season, making 17 appearances, before returning to Poznan where he became a regular starter last term.
The 21-year-old made 27 league appearances for his club and scored one goal as they finished third in the Polish Ekstraklasa and were runners-up for the Polish Cup.
He is contracted to the club until 30 June 2020 and Lech Poznan are reportedly in no rush to sell one of their best players.
International career
Bednarek is tipped for a call-up to the Poland first team soon, but for now, he is focusing on the U21 European Championships in his home country.
He has played for the Poland youth teams from U17 to the current U21 squad, and has made five appearances so far since his debut in October 2016.
For both the U20s and U21s, he has played under manager Marcin Dorna, who also took the Poland U17s to the semi-finals of their European Championships in 2012.
While Poland find themselves bottom of their group after two games of the U21 Championships, there is still the chance for Bednarek to enhance his reputation against England.
Record breaker?
Southampton are not the only side who are tracking the centre-back, with Bundesliga side Hannover reportedly having a 2.5m Euro offer turned down (around £2.2m).
Polish outlet Przeglad Sportowy reports that Lech Pozan are eyeing a fee of £5.25m (around 6m Euros) for Bednarek, which would make him the most expensive Ekstraklasa export in history.
Is he right for Southampton?
Bednarek certainly fits the profile of a Saints signing – he is a rough diamond who has the potential to flourish into a talented defender and will likely cost a relatively low fee.
Southampton are in desperate need of centre-back reinforcements with Jose Fonte and Martin Caceres leaving the club this year and the future of Virgil Van Dijk remaining firmly in the balance.
But with the Saints having sacked Claude Puel, any transfers could be put on hold until a new manager is appointed.
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