Arsenal offload centre-back for club record fee


Derby County have confirmed the signing of Arsenal centre-back Krystian Bielik for a club record fee.

The young Polish defender - also capable of playing in front of the back four - enjoyed an excellent season on loan at Charlton in 2018/19 helping the Addicks to promotion to the Championship.

The 21-year-old had been expected to be given a chance to prove his worth north of the Thames as a result but the Gunners have decided to cash in on the youngster for a fee in the region of £7.5m.

That’s despite Laurent Koscielny’s desire to leave the club this summer and doubts over the future of Shkodran Mustafi at the Emirates.

Bielik has signed a five-year deal at Pride Park and will be expected to go straight into the starting XI under new boss Phillip Cocu following Fikayo Tomori’s return to Chelsea.

The youngster shone at this summer’s European U21 Championships, earning a WhoScored.com rating of 7.60 having scored in victories over both Belgium and host nation Italy.

 

 

Cocu said of the deal: “We’re very happy to announce the signing of Krystian Bielik.

“He is a young player at the age of 21 and it is a permanent deal which I think is a very good investment for the club. I am very happy he has joined the team.

“He will get better and develop, but for his age he is a very good player.”