Maniche downplays Pietuszewski hype: “Youngsters join the B team” | OneFootball

Oskar Pietuszewski was recently confirmed as FC Porto’s second signing of the winter transfer window and has already received some advice after arriving from Jagiellonia Białystok, in a deal valued at around ten million euros.

In an extensive interview given this Sunday to the Polska Agencja Prasowa, Maniche, former midfielder for the Dragons and a Portuguese international, emphasized that the young Pole will need to show patience to earn opportunities in the first team managed by Francesco Farioli. The ex-player suggested that the 17-year-old winger should start by getting minutes with FC Porto’s B team.

“That is FC Porto’s policy. A very young player usually goes to the B team to gain experience at the new club,” highlighted the 2004 European runner-up, stressing that Pietuszewski “will certainly get his opportunity, but not immediately.”

“We don’t know how the development of this young player will go. The club will first test him, observe his performance with the B team, analyze how he handles pressure and how he adapts to the new reality,” Maniche pointed out.

“Thanks to his performances with the B team, Pietuszewski will be able to stabilize and adapt to the Portuguese environment. Over time, he will move up to the first team, gain experience in the Portuguese top division, and his value will start to grow,” he added.

Maniche also emphasized that investing in young players “is almost a norm” among top clubs, expressing no surprise at the potential impact Pietuszewski could have on the Dragons in the future.

“At top clubs like FC Porto, a lot is demanded of young players,” the former footballer noted, adding that “in these teams there are high-level players with great potential” and “there are many of them.”

According to the former international, the player recruited from Jagiellonia Białystok will be gradually introduced into the first team, rejecting the idea of an “immediate” entry into the starting eleven, especially since the competition is fierce.

“This season, FC Porto’s wings are very well covered, meaning the position Pietuszewski plays. On the right is the Spaniard Borja Sainz and on the left the Brazilian Pepê. The Pole, at this moment, is not in a position to take either of their places. This young man has plenty of time ahead of him. He arrived at FC Porto to learn and become a better player. Rushing is not advisable in the case of young players. If such a young player is transferred to the reserve team, it’s a form of protection,” argued Maniche, who also spoke about the value of this deal.

“Some will say it’s little for such a talented player, others that it’s too much. I believe, however, that FC Porto will shape Pietuszewski, turn him into a top-level player and that, in a few years, his value will increase significantly. We don’t know how this talent will establish himself in a new context, in a foreign country, nor if he will earn a place in the first team,” he concluded.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.