Newcastle United have been linked with interest in FC Porto winger Oskar Pietuszewski in recent weeks, but the player’s camp now appear keen to cool down expectations around a summer transfer.
The 17-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable start to life in Portugal since arriving from Jagiellonia in January. Pietuszewski already has 15 appearances, three goals and two assists for Porto, helping the club win the Portuguese title before even turning 18.
Those performances quickly placed him on the radar of several European clubs. Newcastle United were recently named among the sides monitoring the winger, alongside Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.
However, according to the player’s agent, any immediate move away from Porto would make little sense.
“Complete madness”
As relayed by A Bola in Portugal, agent Mariusz Piekarski insisted the plan is for Pietuszewski to remain at Porto next season despite the growing attention.
“I think he will stay at Porto for one more season,” Piekarski said. “The interest remains huge, but we have no plans to change clubs. That would be complete madness.”
The agent made it clear the current priority is development rather than a rapid transfer to one of Europe’s richest clubs.
“Oskar feels very good at Porto. He is happy and gaining experience,” he explained.
“Maybe in a year, after another season in the Portuguese league and after playing in the UEFA Champions League, there will be a reassessment and he can think about what to do next.”
Piekarski also stressed there is no fixed deadline for a departure.
“Still, it is not imperative that he has to leave in a year. Maybe in two years.”
Porto seen as ideal next step
Reports in Portugal have already stated the club are preparing a new contract for Oskar Pietuszewski once he turns 18 on May 20. That deal is expected to extend his stay until 2031 and could also include an increase to his current €60m (£52m) release clause.
From the player’s camp, there appears to be full alignment with that approach.
Pietuszewski has quickly become an important player under manager Francesco Farioli, with his aggressive dribbling and direct style making him one of the breakout stories in Portugal during the second half of the season.
The winger is averaging strong attacking numbers, while also showing impressive intensity off the ball. That combination has helped accelerate the interest from clubs such as Newcastle.
School exams after title celebrations
Piekarski also revealed an unusual detail from the player’s recent schedule after Porto secured the league title.
The youngster travelled back to Poland immediately after the celebrations in order to complete his secondary school exams.
“There was fear about school, the final exams and how Oskar would combine everything with FC Porto, but everything worked out perfectly,” the agent said.
“They played at 9:30pm on Sunday and the final exam was in the morning. I booked a jet to Modlin airport and there was a driver waiting so he could take a quick shower and go straight to the exam.”
For now, despite Newcastle’s interest and growing attention from across Europe, both Porto and the player’s representatives appear convinced that staying exactly where he is remains the smartest next step.
