Thursday 13 August 2015 10:19, UK
The lowdown on Sevilla's Poland international midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, who is reportedly interesting Arsenal.
A Poland international, who began his professional career in France before switching to Spain's La Liga last season, Krychowiak played in Sevilla's narrow Super Cup defeat to Barcelona in Tbilisi on Tuesday after being part of the side which retained the Europa League.
British newspapers claimed Arsenal scouts were in the stands to watch the £22m-rated holding midfielder but what would the Gunners be getting, were they to make a move?
Name: Grzegorz Krychowiak
Age: 25
Position: Defensive midfield
Height: 6ft 1ins
Club: Sevilla - 49 games, 4 goals
Country: Poland - 26 games, 1 goal
What's his background?
Although he played junior football in his native Poland, Krychowiak actually began his professional career in France after moving to Bordeaux as a 16-year-old in 2007. It was with Reims, the one-time giants of French football, who Krychowiak made his league bow with after he was loaned out to the then third-tier club in November 2007.
During his two-season stay at the Stade Auguste Delaune, Krychowiak steadily established himself as a regular in the side which initially won promotion back to Ligue 2. Recalled to Bordeaux for the start of the 2011/12, he finally made his Ligue 1 debut for his parent club but after a mere two appearances he was loaned out again, this time to Ligue 2 Nantes.
Krychowiak's unfulfilled time at Bordeaux officially ended in July 2012 when Reims came back in for him on a permanent deal having returned to France's top flight for the first time in 33 years. Immediately re-establishing himself as a regular in the heart of their midfield, Krychowiak played 35 times in the league, scoring four goals, as Reims survived the drop by five points.
Such were his consistent performances in Ligue 1, and by now the Poland national team, that Sevilla paid Reims nearly £4m to bring him to La Liga at the start of 2014/15. After making his debut in their Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid, Krychowiak was a near ever-present in front of the back four as Sevilla finished fifth in La Liga and successfully defended the Europa League crown they had won the previous season.
Having scored his first goal for the club against Feyenoord in the group stages, Krychowiak netted a well-taken equaliser against Dnipro to turn the final - played in his home country - back Sevilla's way.
What would he bring?
While attention on Arsenal's potential transfer targets has centred more on the sharp end of the field in recent weeks, defensive midfield remains an age-old area of scrutiny on Arsene Wenger's squad.
The surprise emergence of Francis Coquelin mid-way through last season has allayed some fears over the position, but with the 24-year-old Frenchman yet to play a full season in the Premier League and potential alternatives Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini increasingly peripheral, the arrival of Krychowiak would immediately increase competition for places.
As expected for a player whose job it is to patrol the area in front of the defence, Krychowiak likes to get stuck into the tackle and during his time in France was apparently nicknamed 'Le Bucheron' - the woodcutter. However, playing in one of the world's most technical leagues also requires style to go with that graft and he boasted a strong pass completion rate of 80.8 per cent in La Liga last season, according to WhoScored.com.
Describing his playing style on his arrival at Sevilla last summer, Krychowiak said: "I'm a defensive midfielder. I play with one or two touches, very aggressive. I run a lot and I like to bring the ball from the defence to the attack."
At over six foot, Krychowiak also enjoys a height advantage over Arsenal's existing defensive midfielders which would prove a useful attribute to the Gunners in both defensive and attacking situations. In France, he was occasionally deployed as a centre back too, and versatility has tended to be a key trait of any Wenger signing.
What do they say about him?
Sevilla manager Unai Emery: "If we asked him to play this afternoon, he would definitely say yes, and that's a good thing. I've not coached many players who will tell their coach they're willing to play through the pain barrier for you."
Former Reims coach Hubert Fournier: "He is a trooper, the kind of player every coach dreams of working with."
Graham Hunter's expert view
"He's a fierce, tough-tackling, clever, goal-scoring central-midfielder who meets the pattern of what critics of Wenger have been saying Arsenal have needed for three four or five seasons now.
"However, if they are to get him they will have to ram-raid Sevilla to convince them to part with him ahead of what is a Champions League season for the Andalusians. He’s the right player, but late timing coupled with a Sevilla side who are cash rich could see him stay put."
