FC Porto winger Oskar Pietuszewski has been tipped for a future move to Manchester United, Liverpool or Manchester City. A Polish football legend suggests the teenager has the talent to reach those Premier League giants.
Speaking about the 17-year-old, former Poland international and ex-Polish FA president Zbigniew Boniek said he would not be surprised to see Pietuszewski one day playing for one of those English clubs.
Just yesterday, we covered reports from the Portuguese press linking him to Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Therefore, the Boniek’s words are right on time.
The comments come as the young winger’s profile continues to rise in Portugal. Pietuszewski has impressed since joining Porto in the winter window. Moreover, his performances have already sparked discussion in Poland about a possible senior national team call-up.
First call-up close
Boniek, who previously starred for Juventus and Roma, made it clear he does not want to interfere with the decisions of Poland manager Jan Urban.
Still, he openly praised the Porto player and questioned the idea that talented youngsters must always wait before stepping into bigger roles.
“I’m not the one who will choose the players for Jan,” Boniek said, referring to the national team manager. “I want to thank him because he called me on my birthday. We talked about the squad, the players, Pietuszewski. But that’s a matter between Jan and me, so to speak.”
“I won’t be the next person telling the manager who he should call up and who he shouldn’t. However, I want to say something interesting: if someone is good, he is good.”
Boniek also pushed back against the common narrative that young players must always be given long periods to mature before being trusted at the highest level.
“There’s a common opinion among us, sometimes unfortunately cultivated by journalists, that a player needs time, needs to mature, needs to adapt to training and to a different style of play,” he said.
Premier League giants mentioned
Oskar Pietuszewski
While discussing Pietuszewski’s long-term potential, Boniek went further. He suggested the winger has the profile to reach some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
“The structure of his muscles, his appearance, the way he moves and his trajectory all predispose him to a truly colossal career,” the former Poland star said.
“I don’t want to jinx it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Pietuszewski went to Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid or Barcelona.”
Those remarks add another layer to the growing interest around the Porto youngster. In recent weeks, reports from Portugal have already linked the winger with Premier League attention. This follows his strong start at the club.
Rapid rise in Portugal
Pietuszewski arrived at Porto in the winter transfer window from Jagiellonia in a deal worth €8m (£6.9m), with a further €2m (£1.7m) in bonuses.
Despite his age, he has quickly earned opportunities in the first team. The winger has been used regularly in recent matches and has delivered several eye-catching performances.
His development has also helped Porto deal with the absence of Samu in attack. The teenager has stepped into a more prominent role during recent league fixtures.
For now, Porto see the Polish talent as a long-term project with enormous potential. However, with figures like Boniek already predicting moves to clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool or Manchester City, the spotlight around Pietuszewski is only likely to grow.