Latvia national team striker Vladislavs Gutkovskis is set to return to Poland’s Ekstraklasa after signing a contract with Arka Gdynia that runs until the end of the 2026/27 season.
The 30-year-old forward left Polish football in the summer of 2023 after several outstanding seasons in the Ekstraklasa, moving to South Korea to join Daejeon Citizen. However, his two-year spell in Asia was heavily disrupted by injuries. Over more than two seasons, Gutkovskis managed just 31 appearances in South Korea’s top division, scoring six goals.
Now, a return to familiar territory awaits. In November, Gutkovskis announced that he would not continue his career in South Korea, becoming a free agent shortly thereafter. He has now officially joined Arka Gdynia, a club where one of the fan favourites for multiple seasons was former Latvia national team goalkeeper Pāvels Šteinbors, who has just brought his playing career to an end.
Founded in 1929, Arka Gdynia enjoyed a successful campaign last season, winning Poland’s second-tier league and securing promotion back to the Ekstraklasa after a five-year absence. At the halfway point of the current season, Arka sit 12th out of 18 teams with 21 points, but the table remains extremely tight. Bottom-placed Bruk-Bet Termalica, one of Gutkovskis’ former clubs, have 19 points, while the league leaders are only nine points ahead of Arka.
Gutkovskis is no stranger to Polish football, having spent eight seasons in the country. After impressing at Skonto Riga, he moved to Bruk-Bet Termalica, where he played for three and a half seasons before joining Raków Częstochowa. At Raków, Gutkovskis enjoyed the most successful period of his career, becoming a Polish Ekstraklasa champion, as well as a two-time Polish Cup and Super Cup winner. In total, he has made 148 Ekstraklasa appearances, scoring 35 goals.
The Ekstraklasa is currently on its winter break, with Arka Gdynia set to resume their campaign on January 30, when they face Radomiak Radom.
Source: https://www.arka.gdynia.pl/news,25876-vladislavs-gutkovskis-zawodnikiem-arki-gdynia.html
