FC St. Pauli

Pyrka, 22, is already in his sixth season at the senior level, having made the transition from the youth setup to the first team at Znicz Pruszkow at the start of the 2018/19 campaign. He made a total of 47 competitive appearances for the Polish second-tier outfit, scoring two goals and making three others, before moving to Gliwice in 2020/21, where he contributed eight goals and nine assists in 155 appearances. Pyrka is a Polish international and has played 26 times for his country at Under-20 and Under-21 level, scoring twice and providing one assist.

Reaction to the deal

Director of sport Andreas Bornemann: "Arkadiusz is just the kind of player we were looking for, combining flexibility with ability and the dynamism needed for a wing-back. Despite his young age he already has a wealth of experience on a high level and still has potential to improve."

Head coach Alexander Blessin: "In Arkadiusz we're getting a wide player who's had an excellent footballing education and can influence the game at both ends of the pitch. He's calm and collected on the ball even when under pressure and has the dynamism to dribble his way past opponents. He's consistent and has good timing in the tackle and switches the play quickly on winning possession."

Arkadiusz Pyrka: "The club officials made a big effort to sign me and showed me an exciting perspective of how I can develop as a player. I'm convinced that now is the right time to take on a new challenge and I look forward to joining this very international squad and playing Bundesliga football at the Millerntor."

Photos: FC St. Pauli