Jan Bednarek arrived at Southampton from Lech Poznan back in 2017 and became a key player for the Saints. The defender made 254 appearances for the south coast side, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists.
Bednarek helped Southampton to promotion via the Championship playoffs in 2024. However, he left the club following their relegation from the Premier League the following season. During his time with the Saints, he was also loaned to Aston Villa for a campaign. This was to prove unsuccessful as he made just four appearances for Villa.
Bednarek now plays for FC Porto, where he has become a key player once more. He has been voted defender of the month in the Portuguese league for the last four months.
His Porto side is currently top of the Liga Portugal with a near-perfect record. They are undefeated with 16 wins and one draw from 17 games. Their manager, Francesco Farioli, is regarded as one of the brightest up-and-coming coaches in soccer.
Porto should win the division this season, as they are seven points ahead of Sporting CP. This would be Bednarek's first league title since the Ekstraklasa, which he won with Poznan back in 2015.
Will Southampton fans wish Jan Bednarek was still playing for them?
Porto are also doing fairly well in the Europa League, where they are currently eighth. This is a far cry from where Southampton currently are.
The Saints are currently lingering in 15th place in the Championship. They are eight points off the playoff places, but only nine away from the relegation zone. Tonda Eckert's side are winless in their last six league games, and lost 4-0 to Middlesbrough last time out in the division.
Their back line includes the highly rated Taylor Harwood-Bellis, but apart from him, their defenders have underperformed this season. Bednarek is only 29, but he will be enjoying his soccer much more in Portugal than with a mid-table Championship side.
Bednarek also remains a Poland international who has 72 caps, and one goal, which came against Japan at the 2018 World Cup. The Poles still have a chance at qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. They face Albania in the semi-finals of the playoffs in March. They will then face the winner of Ukraine against Sweden for a chance to make it to the tournament, which is being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada later this year.