Transfer – preferably in winter!

Slovak goalkeeper of Legia Warsaw, JAN MUCHA, has once again collected awards in Poland

Was Sunday’s match Legia Warsaw – Arka Gdynia (1:0) the last for Jan Mucha in the Polish league? If so, where will the next football steps of the Slovak goalkeeper lead? These are the questions that interest the football public both in Poland and in Slovakia. Mucha shone for Slovakia at the end of the World Cup qualifiers, playing a big role in reaching South Africa. It is therefore very important where he will spend the last half-year before the tournament.

Let’s recall the facts. In addition to impressing with his excellent performances for the national team, Mucha also confirmed his long-term great form in Poland during the autumn. Before the last match against Arka Gdynia, he received the Canal+ award for player of the month for November. Currently, he is on a streak of 294 minutes without conceding a goal. During the autumn, he kept 12 clean sheets. His performance in Belchatow in round 15 was even rated as one of the best of his career! In 17 matches, Legia conceded only seven goals. “Defensively we are playing well, that’s true. But we have a problem scoring goals, and that’s why we are five points behind Wisla, the league leader,” Mucha said.

Collecting accolades again
The daily Przeglad Sportowy named Mucha in the best eleven of the autumn. He became the best foreign player in Poland in the poll of the weekly Pilka Nozna. Canal+, which annually awards the football “Oscars,” named him the best goalkeeper of the Ekstraklasa ahead of Wojciech Skaba and Mariusz Pawelek. A special Oscar for lifetime contribution was also awarded to Legia’s goalkeeping coach Krzysztof Dowhan. “These are all nice awards. But the most important thing is that I stay healthy, and so does my family. I hope it continues this way,” Mucha emphasized.

A varied list of suitors
It is no coincidence that scouts from European clubs have repeatedly watched Mucha. Based on this, Polish media have compiled a varied list of clubs allegedly interested in the Slovak goalkeeper. It includes Arsenal London, Olympiakos Piraeus, Panathinaikos Athens, CSKA Moscow, Paris St. Germain, Stade Rennes, Toulouse, Hannover 96, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Fulham.

“For the German daily Bild, I confirmed Hannover’s interest. I know that Rennes scouts also watched him. About the other clubs, I won’t comment – some of them are really just inventions or speculations. For example, at CSKA, the undisputed number one is Russian international Igor Akinfeev,” commented FIFA-licensed agent and player adviser Jozef Tokos.

The fact is that Hannover needs a replacement for the late Robert Enke, while Paris St. Germain lost their number one, Gregory Coupet, who broke his leg in a match against Auxerre.

The increased number of French clubs on this list can also be explained by movement on the goalkeeper market. While in other top leagues no major change occurred in the summer, in France there was a big transfer when Cedric Carrasso moved from Toulouse to Bordeaux for 8 million euros, with Yohann Pele taking his place in the “violets” squad.

He might stay at Legia
Mucha is currently on holiday in Egypt, and after returning he plans to spend Christmas with his parents in Slovakia. With a touch of irony, one could write that Polish media know more about his future than he does himself. It is even possible that he will stay at Legia and extend his contract, which is due to expire in the summer. Last week he had a meeting with Mariusz Walter, president of the ITI company, which owns Legia.

“We sat together for two hours, talking about all sorts of things. It was a pleasant meeting. My future? I don’t know. I have a few days now to think; the decision will be difficult. It’s quite possible that I’ll sign an extension with Legia. I will certainly meet with Mr. Walter again,” the Slovak goalkeeper told Przeglad Sportowy. He reportedly left the meeting satisfied, thanks to a new offer from Legia. This one is higher than the previous – €250,000 per year plus bonuses per match.

“The priority for Jan Mucha remains a transfer, preferably in winter. It should be to a club from the top five or six European leagues, or one that regularly plays in the Champions League. Jan’s dream is the Premier League, he has said that many times. Everything could become clear very soon,” said Tokos.