Bartlomiej Dragowski finally has a new club after a move to Premier League outfit Southampton collapsed with Spezia confirming his arrival from Serie A rivals Fiorentina on Wednesday afternoon.
It’s not been a happy summer for the Poland international.
After losing his place in Vincenzo Italiano’s starting XI at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Dragowski was supposed to put pen to paper with a Southampton side who, according to his agent, have been watching the former Empoli loanee ‘for several years’.
That was, however, until work permit problems put pay to those plans.
Southampton miss out on Bartlomiej Dragowski
“Southampton have been watching Dragowski for several years,” explains Mariusz Kulesza, the 24-year-old’s representative, via Fiorentina News. “But, unfortunately, the transfer failed due to the lack of a work permit.”
“Another English team (rumoured to be Bournemouth prior to Norberto Neto’s arrival) also filed an appeal but unfortunately was rejected. A move to England this summer is out of the question.”
So too, it seems, was a potential switch to La Liga. Out of the question. Reports linking Dragowski with Celta Vigo, Kulesza says, were ‘just gossip’. A proposed move to Espanyol then fell through too.
So while a Spezia side who avoided relegation by just six points in 2021/22 probably weren’t the stature of club Dragowski was dreaming of back in May, the phrase ‘beggars cannot be choosers’ comes to mind.
Dragowski needs regular game-time if he is to earn a place in the Poland squad for the Qatar World Cup. And Spezia can at least offer him that.
The Liguria-based outfit have paid Fiorentina a knock-down fee of just £1.5 million up front (TMW). Far less than the £10 million sum reported at the start of the summer. Dragowski also signs a three-year deal at the Stadio Alberto Picco.
Southampton, meanwhile, appear to have secured one of Europe’s finest young shot-stoppers in Gavin Bazunu, the former Manchester City man arriving instead of Dragowski. Alex McCarthy could leave before September’s deadline, with Mateusz Lis and Willy Caballero providing back up at St Mary’s.
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