Ex-Arsenal youngster signs for 3rd club in 6 years | OneFootball

Krystian Bielik’s time at Arsenal promised much but delivered little, and now, a decade after arriving in north London, the Pole has signed for his third club since leaving.

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Now 27, he has joined West Bromwich Albion from Birmingham City in a deal worth around £1m, penning a three-year contract at the Hawthorns.

Arsenal signed Bielik from Legia Warsaw in January 2015 for €2.4m, and he was hailed as one of Europe’s brightest teenage defensive prospects.

He made just two senior appearances for the Gunners, both in the League Cup, but a series of loans defined his time at the club.

A brief spell at Walsall was cut short by injury, but at Charlton Athletic he impressed, helping them win promotion in 2019 with a man-of-the-match display in the play-off final at Wembley.

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That performance secured an £7.5m move to Derby County from Arsenal, where Bielik looked ready to establish himself before suffering two serious ACL injuries that wrecked successive seasons.

He still managed 48 Championship appearances but could not stop Derby’s slide to League One in 2022.

A loan to Birmingham reignited his career before completing a permanent move in 2023.

He leaves St Andrew’s after 125 appearances across three spells.

Bielik has also represented Poland 11 times and featured at the 2022 World Cup.

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His latest move offers a fresh chance in the Championship, where his versatility as a centre-back and defensive midfielder should make him an asset.

West Brom sporting director Andrew Nestor said: “Krystian is a seasoned and proven player and, at 27, is in his prime years for a defender. He knows English football well and has proven himself as a leader.”

Bielik added: “Albion are a massive club. When I found out I could play for this team, I was really happy.

“The Championship is one of the hardest leagues, you have to be ready for everything that’s coming. You have to be prepared, you have to be fit, you have to be strong physically and mentally.

“It’s nothing new for me, I’ve done it many times now, and I honestly can’t wait. I hope we can be very successful this season.”