KIRKBY, ENGLAND - MAY 23:(THE SUN OUT. THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Fabio Carvalho of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on May 23, 2023 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool has developed a habit of signing Polish players, including one who has been likened to Lionel Messi, and could continue that trend with an exciting wonderkid.
MATEUSZ MUSIALOWSKI, THE ‘POLISH HAZARD’ OUT TO IMPRESS JURGEN KLOPP IN LIVERPOOL TRAINING
In the last three years, Liverpool has been very active in the youth transfer market when it comes to Poland. With good scouting links in the region, the Reds have signed four young Polish players during the period, and it could have been five.
According to Polish Super Express, Liverpool was also very interested in the services of Kacper Kozłowski, who was a break-out star in the Ekstraklasa but ended up joining Brighton & Hove Albion instead
So, Liverpool has had to make do with a four-man Polish contingent, which includes three goalkeepers in Fabian Mrozek, Jakub Ojrzyński and Kornel Misciur. There was also Mateusz Musiałowski, who has made waves over the years in the club’s academy due to his excellent one vs one ability on the ball, which saw him earn comparisons to Lionel Messi in his homeland for some of the mazy runs he has scored at academy level.
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Brexit has of course made it more difficult for Liverpool to attract players at such a young age from EU-based countries like Poland because the Reds are no longer able to sign overseas players under 18 years old, but the club should still have a scouting presence in the region
That is especially true since Poland is a quickly developing football nation that is demonstrating its might at the U17 European Championships so far. The country’s U17 team has qualified for the tournament ahead of Portugal in its qualifying group and beat countries like Belgium and Norway in pre-season friendlies before topping its group at the tournament in Hungary.
Now in the semi-finals after beating Serbia in the quarter-finals with a dramatic last-minute free-kick winner, Poland has got there by scoring the most goals and taking the most shots playing beautiful free-flowing attacking football.
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One of the favorites to go all the way, the country’s run has also highlighted its exciting prospects. Stars like Karol Borys, Krzysztof Kolanko and Jakub Krzyzanowski have all caught the eye, as well as Filip Rejczyk, who scored that dramatic free-kick winner against Serbia and who has one goal and three assists at the tournament so far in four games.
A technically gifted midfield player, Rejczyk plays his football in the academy of one of Poland’s biggest teams in Legia Warszawa, and he has already made his first team debut in a pre-season friendly for the club.
A technically gifted midfielder who reads the game and scans his surroundings really well, Rejczyk’s best ability is the way he can create chances for his teammates and provide a threat from set-pieces.
