Krystian Bielik

Krystian Bielik broke through as a teenager, winning the Polish Under-17 title with Lech Poznań before Legia Warsaw paid a modest fee to take him to the capital. Arsenal moved for him within months, signing the defender as a 17-year-old for a fee in the region of £2.4 million.

What followed at Arsenal was a string of loans rather than first-team football: spells at Birmingham City, Walsall and Charlton Athletic while he waited for a route into the Emirates Stadium side that never opened up. It was at Charlton that he had his defining moment, starting the 2019 League One play-off final against Sunderland, helping his side to a 2–1 win at Wembley and being named Man of the Match.

That form persuaded Derby County to make him their club-record signing at £10 million later that year. He eventually returned to Birmingham City, first on loan and then permanently, before a move to West Bromwich Albion.

Internationally, Bielik had represented Poland at Under-17 and Under-21 level before earning his senior debut against Slovenia. He has since gone on to make the World Cup squad, playing in all four of Poland's matches as they reached the last 16 at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, with none yet to his name for the national team.