Arsenal, Man City ready formal moves for best Polish talent in years – sources | OneFootball

Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea have all sent senior scouts to Poland on multiple occasions this season to watch Jagiellonia’s 17-year-old midfield prodigy Oskar Pietuszewski, sources have revealed to TEAMtalk.

The elegant right-footed central midfielder, comfortable in both the No 6 and No 8 roles, has exploded onto the scene in the Ekstraklasa, making 24 senior appearances already and registering three goals and two assists from deeper positions. Blessed with exceptional vision and superb press-resistance, Pietuszewski is widely regarded as the most complete Polish teenage talent in a long time.

Sources close to Jagiellonia confirm that the three English heavyweights have moved beyond simple observation. Arsenal were present in force for last month’s 4-0 win over Arka Gdynia, Chelsea had representatives at the recent Europa Conference League tie against Strasbourg, while City’s head of emerging talent was spotted at the Bialystok City Stadium only ten days ago.

The interest is not limited to watching briefs. Well-placed sources in Bialystok state that all three clubs have held preliminary discussions with Pietuszewski’s camp and are actively preparing formal approaches when the January window opens.

Jagiellonia, aware of the growing hype, have slapped a €15million (£13m) minimum valuation on their academy graduate – a figure that could rise significantly with bonuses and would shatter the club’s outgoing transfer record.

Pietuszewski’s contract runs until summer 2027 and contains no release clause, giving Jagiellonia significant leverage.

Club officials are relaxed about the situation, believing a mid-season sale at that price would represent extraordinary business for a player who cost nothing to develop.

The teenager himself is keeping his counsel but is known to be open to a Premier League move, with those close to him suggesting the opportunity for immediate first-team minutes will be decisive.

Arsenal’s recent success in integrating young midfielders is seen as a minor advantage.

One thing is certain: when January arrives, the race for Pietuszewski will be one of the window’s most fiercely contested battles.

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