According to Tomasz Włodarczyk of Meczyki, Latvian national team defender Alvis Jaunzems will continue his career in the Polish Ekstraklasa, having agreed to the terms of a two-year contract with Lechia Gdańsk, which includes an option for a third season.
The 25-year-old had spent the past 1.5 years with Stal Mielec, making 33 league appearances last season, scoring once and providing one assist. Following Stal Mielec’s relegation from the top flight, Jaunzems exercised a contractual clause allowing him to become a free agent.
Lechia Gdańsk finished last Ekstraklasa season in 14th place, six points ahead of Stal Mielec, who ended the campaign in 16th.
Interestingly, Jaunzems was previously on Lechia Gdańsk’s radar prior to his move to Poland, due to the club’s ties with Valmiera FC, his former team in Latvia. However, at the time, a deal did not materialize, and he ended up joining Stal Mielec instead.
Jaunzems played a key role in Valmiera FC’s 2022 Virslīga title win, before moving abroad. In total, he has made 57 appearances in the Ekstraklasa and has been capped 41 times by the Latvian national team.
