Polish footballer Krystian Bielik has acknowledged that AC Milan were one of the clubs interested in signing him before he joined Derby County in the Championship. The young centre-back failed to make a single league appearance for Arsenal despite impressing for the development side and he eventually made the move to the Rams this summer.
In a report covered by Goal.com, Bielik said that he was hopeful that he would break into the first-team under Unai Emery but that was not the case. He added that there was interest from the Rossoneri prior to the European Under-21 Championship but the deal did not materialise beyond the opening stretch.
He told: “I was hoping that I would get a chance under (Arsenal boss) Unai Emery but it turned out that he couldn’t see me in his plans. At the Euros, I wanted to show myself well and hoped that I was watched by the club and I could do a lot with good performances. Then, before the Championships, Milan’s offer appeared, but ultimately nothing came of it.”
At Derby, Bielik has the opportunity to compete for regular first-team football and he is confident that he can raise up to the Premier League challenge next season, he added: “I don’t want to say it’s a shame now. I love Arsenal and playing for this club was my dream. However, it was necessary to stray from this path. I came to the club from the Championship, where I will play and gain experience. I think that after the next season, if I play regularly, I will be ready for the Premier League.” The Rams had a good season under former boss Frank Lampard last term and they nearly got promoted through the Championship playoffs before losing to Aston Villa in the final. Under new boss Phillip Cocu, they started the season with a victory but they have since gone winless for five matches with just three points gained. The Dutchman surely needs to transform the team or else he could face the sack before the halfway stage of the season.
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