Steve Kapuadi at Widzew: Record-breaking transfer within the Ekstraklasa and Pogoń's reinforcements

The final hours of the winter transfer window in the Polish Ekstraklasa were marked by unprecedented spending and surprising squad moves. The transaction between Legia Warszawa and Widzew Łódź resonated the loudest. Steve Kapuadi, a pillar of the capital club's defense, moved to Łódź for a fixed fee of 2 million euros plus 1 million euros in bonuses. This is the highest sum ever paid by a Polish club to another representative of the same league. Legia's sporting director, Michał Żewłakow, admitted that selling the player to a direct rival in the relegation battle was driven by financial benefits and the player's own desire for a change of scenery after his failed move to Italy's Cremonese. The rivalry between Legia and Widzew, called a classic of the Polish league, has its roots in the 1980s and 1990s, when both clubs regularly fought for the Polish championship and played in the Champions League. Pogoń Szczecin was equally active in the market, acquiring Danish winger Mads Agger from Sonderjyske and young defensive midfielder Igor Brzyski from Torino FC in the final hours of the window. The club's owner, Alex Haditaghi, thereby fulfilled a transfer promise made to fans after they purchased over 16,000 tickets for the upcoming match. Pogoń, currently in 10th place in the table, strengthened the squad with a total of seven new players, preparing for Saturday's confrontation with Widzew. Meanwhile, Legia Warszawa, despite a dire table position in the relegation zone, managed under Marek Papszun to break a terrible run of twelve matches without a win, defeating Wisła Płock 2:1. „Kapuadi daje nam w końcu możliwość zmiany sposobu grania, z przejścia gry czterema obrońcami na trójkę stoperów i dwóch wahadłowych, których przecież mamy.” (Kapuadi finally gives us the possibility to change our playing style, from playing with four defenders to a trio of center-backs and two wing-backs, which we have after all.) — Krzysztof Kamiński In the shadow of domestic transfers, news emerged of Korona Kielce's interest in Karol Świderski, confirming the trend of Polish national team players returning to their home league. Outside the country, the case of Bodo/Glimt goalkeeper Nikita Haikin became prominent, as his procedure to be appointed a Norwegian citizen was halted by the immigration office. This situation is controversial, as national team coach Ståle Solbakken sees him as the primary goalkeeper for the upcoming World Cup. Experts note that the lack of an administrative decision could deprive the Norwegian national team of a key reinforcement before the tournament in North America. The hosts of the upcoming 2026 World Cup — the USA, Canada, and Mexico — will for the first time in history host a tournament expanded to 48 national teams.