Just a few months ago he was an anonymous name in scouting reports. Now he costs 4 million euros and leaves Górnik Zabrze as one of the most expensive teenagers in Ekstraklasa history. Dominik Sarapata moves to FC Copenhagen, leaving behind more questions than answers. A lightning-fast, spectacular, risky transfer – and very symbolic.
A player who speeds up his game and thinking
Sarapata is a midfielder who catches the eye. Not only because he entered the Górnik team without complexes, but also because of his style of play. He plays forward, does not hide behind defenders, does not "cash in" on age and potential. Despite being only 17 years old, he played as if he knew that his time in the Ekstraklasa was numbered. He is not a player "for the eye". He is a player who forces those around him to think faster. And it is this type of football "impudence" - rare among defensive midfielders - that caught the attention of Copenhagen.
Transfer at breakneck speed
Zabrze hasn't had time to enjoy Sarapata yet. 16 appearances, one goal, one assist - these aren't numbers that take your breath away. But the moments when he regulated the pace, received the ball on the verge of a foul, started offensive actions - have been etched in the minds of observers. And they were enough for FC Copenhagen to pay 4 million euros for him.
This is an amount that, in Polish terms, is absurdly high for a teenager. For comparison, Ekstraklasa sells ready-made league players for this kind of money, often with several seasons in their legs. Here we have a footballer born in 2007, who has just finished high school.
A step into professionalism
FC Copenhagen is a team that regularly plays in the group stages of European cups, with training, scouting and financial resources that far exceed the realities of Polish club football. In the last five years, the club has played in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League – with successes that put it at a level comparable to teams from the top leagues. Such a transfer is not so much a league promotion as a structural one – a move to an organisation where the quality of a player's daily life, the pace of training, the pressure of competition and media exposure are several levels higher than in Poland. For the young midfielder from Zabrze, this means entering an environment that tests character faster than technical skills.
Risk in the background
Leaving after one season raises questions about the continuity of development. Sarapata has not yet had the opportunity to face the realities of a long season, relegation pressure, or taking on the role of team leader. At FC Copenhagen, he will have to face a different form of selection – much less lenient and less patient. The risk of "disappearing" in the structures of a larger club is always there, especially when a player comes from a smaller market.
What are Górnik and Ekstraklasa playing at?
For Górnik Zabrze, it is a sporting and financial success. Raising a player who earns 4 million euros for the club at the age of 17 is a rare event. But it is also a reminder of how fragile the structure of Polish clubs is today – they are unable to keep talents even for two seasons. From the league's perspective, such a transfer is proof of its transitional function – you show up here, but you don't stay.
The step that tests the system
This transfer can be seen not only as a move in the career of a young footballer, but also as a test for the en