According to Polish news outlet Przeglad Sportowy, Arsenal and Southampton are keen on the services of Pogon Szczecin wonderkid Sebastian Walukiewicz. The highly-rated centre-back has grabbed a lot of eyeballs with his impressive performances in Poland, which has attracted the interest of several top clubs across Europe.
The 18-year-old only made his first-team debut last season but is already regarded as one of the most promising players in European football. It is reported that Arsenal and Southampton scouts were in attendance for his club’s league clash against Miedz Legnica on Friday. The Saints, in particular, are said to have shown a keen interest in the teenage sensation.
Sebastian Walukiewicz – The next big thing?
Walukiewicz is actually a product of the Legia Warszawa youth setup before he moved to Pogon Szczecin last summer in search of regular game time. And the move paid off, as the 18-year-old saw a rapid improvement during his time with the Dockers.
He initially played for Szczecin’s reserve team and thereof, featured in 12 matches in the lower leagues. But, his impressive performances quickly earned him a place in the senior side as he made his first-team debut against his former club Legia at the backend of last season.
Even though his side ended up losing 3:0 in that corresponding game with Walukiewicz playing just eight minutes, his sheer potential was clearly evident. As a result, the young sensation featured in all of ninety minutes in games against Slask Wroclaw and Cracovia Krakow respectively and made quite an impression.
In this new season, the 18-year-old has already started the first game against Miedz Legnica. Despite starting the season with a 1:0 defeat, it is believed that Walukiewicz will play a key role for the club in the remainder of the campaign. But, that is only if they manage to hold on to their prized asset.
As mentioned earlier, Southampton are eager to sign this highly talented centre-back in order to further solidify their backline in the forthcoming season. However, the Saints have already snapped up defensive star Jannik Vestergaard and have the likes of Wesley Hoedt, Jan Bednarek and Maya Yoshida in their defensive unit.
Thus, a move for Sebastian Walukiewicz doesn’t actually make sense for the Saints given their depth in the defensive department, meaning the 18-year-old will have to be content with playing for the Saints’ reserves or while his time away on the bench.
Therefore, remaining at his current club will be the most logical decision for the Polish whizkid despite interest from some of the top clubs across Europe. He has just broken into the first-team at Pogon Szczecin and it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his consistency throughout the course of the season.
