I cost PSG £28m then ended up at West Brom - now I’m travelling the world | OneFootball

Grezgorz Krychowiak once cost £28 million to join PSG before he ended up with West Brom but he is now enjoying his retirement travelling the world...

Paris Saint-Germain spent £28 million on Grezgorz Krychowiak, while West Brom gave the Polish midfielder a short-lived Premier League adventure before his post-retirement plans.

Now, though, Grezgorz Krychowiak is doing something rather different. The former Sevilla and Lokomotiv Moscow star has retired from football and appears to have swapped dressing rooms for airports, travelling to some of the world's most unusual destinations.

The 100-cap Poland international has seemingly been determined to see as much of the planet as possible. It is quite the retirement plan for a former footballer, with the former West Bromwich Albion midfielder not going down the traditional route.

Grezgorz Krychowiak has gone from being PSG's £28m man to travelling the world

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There was a time when Krychowiak was one of Europe's most respected defensive midfielders. He won back-to-back Europa League titles with Sevilla, played every minute of Poland's run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals and earned 100 international caps.

Before joining West Brom, that reputation helped earn him a £28 million move to PSG in 2016 (The Telegraph), although his time in Paris never really worked out as he had hoped.

A year later came his unexpected move to West Brom, before Krychowiak embarked on a nomadic second half of his career. He eventually retired in October 2025, and his life since then has been fascinating.

Rather than immediately moving into coaching, punditry, or another familiar football role, he has been travelling extensively, with recent destinations on his Instagram showcasing that include Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Libya, Algeria, Somalia, and Eritrea.

Reports from Goal now say he has visited around 140 countries and intends to see every country in the world. That would be almost as impressive as it is to make it as a footballer in the first place, given the competition to make it at an elite level of the biggest sport in the world.

Grzegorz Krychowiak's career took him from Bordeaux to West Brom and beyond

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Krychowiak began at Bordeaux before loan spells with Reims and Nantes, eventually joining Reims permanently and then Sevilla in 2014. Two Europa League triumphs later, PSG paid a fortune for him, but after just one season he was loaned to West Brom for 2017/18.

He made 31 appearances for the Baggies, although his season became increasingly difficult under Alan Pardew after a public disagreement when he was substituted. He finished the campaign under Darren Moore as West Brom were relegated.

It was not a productive spell and Krychowiak never returned to England. He joined Lokomotiv Moscow, later played for Krasnodar, AEK Athens, Al-Shabab, Abha, and Anorthosis Famagusta before ending his professional career in 2025.

Speaking of returns, West Brom, meanwhile, have not returned to the Premier League since that relegation campaign. They will hope for a happier campaign in the Championship this time around under James Morrison, a former teammate of the 36-year-old's.

After fighting off relegation last season, it could well be that after their start. A year of enjoyment for the Baggies could occur whilst Krychowiak continues to tick off countries from his list of potential destinations.

It's a very different retirement for Grzegorz Krychowiak

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Indeed, there is something wonderfully refreshing about Krychowiak's post-football life. Former players understandably gravitate towards coaching, punditry, ambassadorial work, or even their own business, but the Pole appears to have decided that retirement is an opportunity to do something completely different.

And why not? After spending his youth moving between countries for football, he has already explained that travelling helped him discover different places, people, and cultures. Now, rather than spending his time discussing his old career with West Brom and more on television, he is visiting countries that most tourists would never consider putting on their itinerary.

Footballers who earn substantial sums during their careers have opportunities most people can only dream of, and Krychowiak appears to be making the most of his. At 36, with 100 Poland caps, two Europa League winners' medals, and a fascinating career behind him, the world really is his oyster now.