Jan Bednarek - Official: Signs for Porto

[Matthew Le God]

 

 

[S-Clarke]

1 hour ago, Colinjb said:

7.5 million for Bednarek. Great flipping work!

I think that was the clause set in his contract when he signed last summer, so Porto have matched it.

He's been a good servant, 8 years or whatever it's been - not the best CB at all and part of some of my most miserable days supporting this club, so it's a case of falling upwards by getting a move to Porto!

It makes me wonder why we value ABK at £10m though. Seems a bit skewed.

Edited Monday at 09:42 by S-Clarke

[kjurwi]

Seems like Janny B is going to Porto. Good luck to him. 

[kjurwi]

Hade to scroll down 9 pages of Saintsweb to find Bednareks thread.

[S-Clarke]

It's been mentioned in the transfer thread too, but this seems like a decent place to merge it all into.

I don't think he's a top defender, not by a long way, but for £5m initial outlay in 2018 or whenever it was, you've got to say we've got our value back on him - we're still going to make a profit on that, just about. Not sure how much Lech will get.

I appreciate his time and the effort he's put in, but it feels like the right time to part ways as there are too many bad memories associated with a Saints defence including Bednarek!

[kitch]

Best of luck to him, but not sorry to see him go in the slightest. One of the first signings to me that signalled all was not well with the club. Bought in as a squad-level player (same as Martina, McCarthy, Pied etc) who was some way off the quality of the established starters, but ended being up first-choice in the PL when he should never have been (though still ahead of Stephens, easily).
That signalled the drop of quality of the team to me, as opposed to an issue with Jan B - the fact he shouldn't really have ever been a starter. He was too slow for the PL. Proved a good CB at Championship level, sure, but he's been part of the same squad of losers for too long now. He needs a new start, as do we.

That's a great move for him, no doubt about that.

[S-Clarke]

Just now, kitch said:

Best of luck to him, but not sorry to see him go in the slightest. One of the first signings to me that signalled all was not well with the club. Bought in as a squad-level player (same as Martina, McCarthy, Pied etc) who was some way off the quality of the established starters, but ended being up first-choice in the PL when he should never have been (though still ahead of Stephens, easily).
That signalled the drop of quality of the team to me, as opposed to an issue with Jan B - the fact he shouldn't really have ever been a starter. He was too slow for the PL. Proved a good CB at Championship level, sure, but he's been part of the same squad of losers for too long now. He needs a new start, as do we.

That's a great move for him, no doubt about that.

Somewhat agree, it was a signing at a time when the general quality of our transfers fell through the floor. But for £5m I still don't think we can complain too much, he was a decent enough servant at times and we paid a pittance for him, so for what he cost, what we got (200 odd apps) and a profit 8 years later - that's a decent scouting result to me. I don't think it was necessarily his fault that we signed Hoedt and Vestergaard as the 'main men', but they didn't turn out good enough which thrust Bednarek into the team when I don't think he was ever signed to be first choice.

[benali-shorts]

He wasn't a bad or unsensible signing aged 21 for £5m. He didn't progress beyond that signing value, i.e. 3rd or 4th choice cover was his ceiling level. Sadly he ended up being first choice, which tells us all about the declining standards at the club during his time here. I wish him well but not sorry to see him go.  

[Katalinic]

A taxi driver in Krakow told my son that Bednarek's nickname in Poland roughly translates as "he who runs in concrete boots" 😂. About sums it up.

Edited Monday at 10:50 by Katalinic

[bpsaint]

[Sheaf Saint]

31 minutes ago, kitch said:

Best of luck to him, but not sorry to see him go in the slightest. One of the first signings to me that signalled all was not well with the club. Bought in as a squad-level player (same as Martina, McCarthy, Pied etc) who was some way off the quality of the established starters, but ended being up first-choice in the PL when he should never have been (though still ahead of Stephens, easily).
That signalled the drop of quality of the team to me, as opposed to an issue with Jan B - the fact he shouldn't really have ever been a starter. He was too slow for the PL. Proved a good CB at Championship level, sure, but he's been part of the same squad of losers for too long now. He needs a new start, as do we.

That's a great move for him, no doubt about that.

Pretty much sums up my feelings as well. 

I'm just really glad I never have to watch him do his 'leave a player unmarked to score and then wave his arms around blaming everyone else' routine in a Saints shirt ever again.

[goodymatt]

I like this guy’s view that players like Bednarek leaving allow us to keep Dibling and Fernandes. If only that were true…

[sambosa75]

Decent servant but his involvement in and around the first team has coincided with a complete decline in fortunes for the club.  Can't all be blamed on him of course but its also no coincidence.  Always good to have an experienced head at centre back to mentor the younger ones but when he's the experienced head and the baulk of his career experience is at Saints playing in a constantly worsening side I can't imagine the youngsters he's meant to be mentoring are thinking 'christ, I better listen to this guy - what a career he's had, he can teach me a thing or two..'  

Good luck to him though.  Porto's a great club and a lovely city.  My current employers head office is in Porto so I've spent a fair bit of time there.  Very well supported, big club and a lovely city.  Its a really good move for him.

[sambosa75]

8 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Pretty much sums up my feelings as well. 

I'm just really glad I never have to watch him do his 'leave a player unmarked to score and then wave his arms around blaming everyone else' routine in a Saints shirt ever again.

replied to wrong post

Edited Monday at 10:37 by sambosa75

[sambosa75]

43 minutes ago, kitch said:

Best of luck to him, but not sorry to see him go in the slightest. One of the first signings to me that signalled all was not well with the club. Bought in as a squad-level player (same as Martina, McCarthy, Pied etc) who was some way off the quality of the established starters, but ended being up first-choice in the PL when he should never have been (though still ahead of Stephens, easily).
That signalled the drop of quality of the team to me, as opposed to an issue with Jan B - the fact he shouldn't really have ever been a starter. He was too slow for the PL. Proved a good CB at Championship level, sure, but he's been part of the same squad of losers for too long now. He needs a new start, as do we.

That's a great move for him, no doubt about that.

Just read this after echoing the exact same sentiment myself. 

[disconnect]

Definitely better than Stephens, but it’s a low bar having to put up with those 2 for so long. Would’ve been good if he remained the 4th choice like when he was brought in but became a bit of an embarrassment having him and Stephens most weeks (as proven last year)! Which player is now going to blame everyone else?!

[bugenhagen]

12 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Pretty much sums up my feelings as well. 

I'm just really glad I never have to watch him do his 'leave a player unmarked to score and then wave his arms around blaming everyone else' routine in a Saints shirt ever again.

I agree with this. I had two wishes for the next season:

No Bednarek and no Bazunu.

“Whoa, we're half way there…”

 

Edited Monday at 10:41 by bugenhagen

[Barsiem]

1 hour ago, kjurwi said:

Hade to scroll down 9 pages of Saintsweb to find Bednareks thread.

Next time try searching in Google, Saintsweb & Bednarek!

Little amazed that Jan had interest from Porto (and Ajax apparently), but hope it goes well for him

[Lighthouse]

Eight years here, over 200 appearances and yet I don’t feel any warmth towards him. I think it’s a combination of things which go against him, the main one being that such a poor footballer has been a mainstay of our team for so long. I think his loan to Villa just about sums him up; five months in a proper squad with some actually decent players and he didn’t get a sniff. They immediately realised how crap he was and sent him back early.

Then there’s the fact that he was in both 9-0s, both relegations, a couple of stroppy tantrums and the dubious honour of having the worse game week in the history of Fantasy Football.

Yeah, thanks Jan but in all honesty… meh.

[Danbert]

It makes me realize what a good job Hassenhutl did keeping us in the Premier League with players like Jan as the best in his position. Nothing against JB, but he's been lucky to have so many seasons as a starter in the PL. Hopefully now he's gone, and we're reverting to a more physical style, we'll be more successful.

[badgerx16]

3 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

 

 

That's easy for you to say.

[Sunglasses Ron]

Probably seems a bit harsh, but I can't tell you how pleased I am to see him go.

Never liked him and, for me, epitomises everything bad about the club in recent years.

Just an unlikeable, utterly average, player.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

32 minutes ago, Sunglasses Ron said:

Probably seems a bit harsh, but I can't tell you how pleased I am to see him go.

Never liked him and, for me, epitomises everything bad about the club in recent years.

Just an unlikeable, utterly average, player.

Love to know how you feel about Jack Stephens in that case

[tdmickey3]

14 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Love to know how you feel about Jack Stephens in that case

Words fail with that clown.

The new 3 year deal a true WTF moment 🤦‍♂️, I hope the next SFC/Spors/Still decisions are not this stupid

[kitch]

3 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

Somewhat agree, it was a signing at a time when the general quality of our transfers fell through the floor. But for £5m I still don't think we can complain too much, he was a decent enough servant at times and we paid a pittance for him, so for what he cost, what we got (200 odd apps) and a profit 8 years later - that's a decent scouting result to me. I don't think it was necessarily his fault that we signed Hoedt and Vestergaard as the 'main men', but they didn't turn out good enough which thrust Bednarek into the team when I don't think he was ever signed to be first choice.

That's a better way of saying how I feel about JB to be honest. None of it's his fault, and he's been excellent value for money. If he'd remained a squad player, he'd have been a great success, but that's a reflection on the club and the people running it, not him.

[Sunglasses Ron]

56 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Love to know how you feel about Jack Stephens in that case

He disgusts me to be honest, like him even less.

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

Weren't Porto also supposedly interested in THB at one point this summer too? Don't they want to keep clean sheets this season?

[SaintStinger]

Felt a bit sorry for him. Came here young and after all the decent defenders had already left. Would have benefitted from some time with Fonte, Alderweireld or even Lovren I'm sure. Instead, as mentioned above, he's a starter at 21 onwards. 

Still, time for a fresh start without him and seems to be a decent fee involved too. 

[SW11_Saint]

Good luck to him. Decent money too. 

[Miltonaggro]

One way to look at this fee is that £6.5M pays Jack Stephens contract for the next three years or so @£40k a week.

[CSA96]

 

[CSA96]

 

[davefizzy14]

5 minutes ago, CSA96 said:

 

Good luck to Jan. He's been a very good servant to us, eight years and over 200 appearances. 

[Farmer Saint]

Thank fuck for that.

[skintsaint]

[sockeye]

All the best to him. He's been a symbol of our decline, but not the cause of it. Enjoy the heat from the Portuguese sun instead of the pressure cooker that is English top-flight football, Bednarek.

[Whitey Grandad]

Thanks for all your "efforts", Jan, and j hope that you look back on your time with us than we do.

Incidentally,  why would he need international clearance as a EU citizen working in an EU country?

[skintsaint]

1 hour ago, Whitey Grandad said:

Incidentally,  why would he need international clearance as a EU citizen working in an EU country?

International clearance is required for footballers when they move between different football associations.

Edited Monday at 23:10 by skintsaint

[Patrick Bateman]

Meh. Hope he does better there.

[Turkish]

Thanks Jan. 8 years service for 5m quid. Thrust in at the deep end because our other defenders were so poor. A competent, solid enough player but should never have been first choice in a premier league team. A decent guy wish him well at Porto 

[verlaine1979]

At last.

[HKsaint]

You won’t regret as you will get rid of Jack Stephen’s as your defending partner. But we are stuck with him. 

[coalman]

Porto came for THB but left with Bednarek. They sure wanted part of our record breaking defence. But you know what's better than one Saints defender? Two of them. Porto have a chance to buy a ready made partnership. Forged in the fires if the Premier League. Come on Porto, you need a Stephens to pair with that Bednarek.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

Had a look on a fans forum and the club and supporters are expecting big things from him, they've slapped a 60m Euros release clause on his 4-year contract...

Highlights his greatest moment in football as the 23/24 Play-Off final.

https://www.fcporto.ws/forum/threads/jan-bednarek.27161/

Good luck to him, what a great club to sign for at this stage of his career.

[John B]

23 minutes ago, coalman said:

Porto came for THB but left with Bednarek. They sure wanted part of our record breaking defence. But you know what's better than one Saints defender? Two of them. Porto have a chance to buy a ready made partnership. Forged in the fires if the Premier League. Come on Porto, you need a Stephens to pair with that Bednarek.

The same FC Porto that were in the recent World Club Championship Jan seems to have landed a decent contract with a Top Europen club

Others like KWP Adams and to some extent Suleman who long with Jan helped us to Promotion in 2024 have also moved to top clubs along with Managers Juric and Martin

Meanwhile we recruit new players and a manager from lesser known clubs and hope they will develop into decent players 

However our track record for this is not good with only Fernandes currently deemed to be a success although we made a lot of money with Livramento and Lavia.

Our Academy has not produced a regular PL player for sometime and our current star Dibling has escaped once and seems to want to do so again as he has not signed a new contract.

Although the squad is poor compared with previous ones it is probably one of the best in the Championship and all the players could be replaced by better ones we need to support them an Will Still as I believe they can be in the promotion shake out in May.

 

[Wade Garrett]

A huge part of the failure of the team has now gone.  Hopefully, a few more of the failures will follow.

[gio1saints]

Thanks for the service Jan. Good move for you, good move for Saints. 
 

JQ will be the new starting Centre Back for Southampton this season to replace him as my first choice. 
 

I think the lad has got a great career ahead of him carries on like he’s started. 

[Saint Fan CaM]

Bye Jan and good luck - thanks for your service, but it’s hardly been a joy to behold mostly. Please take Stephens with you so we can exorcise the last few years of decline.

[Mr X]

The only possible reason I can think for Stephen's staying is that WS thinks he can improve our players but only players that really want to play for Southampton.... That said jack Stephens should be backup not anywhere near the starting team! If he starts then I'm not convinced WS is a good judge of our players 

[Toadhall Saint]

Good luck jan