Young midfielder Krystian Bielik has signed for the Gunners. PICTURE: ARSENAL FC

Published: 22 January, 2015

ARSENAL have kick-started their January spending by signing teenage midfielder Krystian Bielik from Legia Warsaw for a reported fee of £2.4million. 

The highly-rated 17-year-old, who has scored three goals in five games for Poland’s Under-17s side, can play in both a holding-midfield role and at centre-back. 

After seeing off competition from the likes of Roma and Hamburg, manager Arsene Wenger said his new addition was “a gamble worth taking”. 

“He’s a defensive midfielder, he is 6ft 2ins, he has a good energy level and a good technical level,” said the Frenchman. “Is £2million a lot of money? It is less than that but yes, it is a lot of money for a player if he doesn’t succeed. 

“If he does succeed it’s cheap. Of course it’s a gamble. But on what we saw it’s a gamble worth taking.” 

Arsenal say the deal is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.