Is Dziedzic's slow start at Athletico Madrid a warning or a settling-in?
Seven league games into his £32.1m return, Krzysztof Dziedzic has no goals, no assists and a 6.60 average — and Athletico Madrid are waiting.
What has £32.1m bought Athletico Madrid so far? Seven league matches, no goals, no assists and an average rating of 6.60. That is the season to date for Krzysztof Dziedzic, the England international who arrived from FC CFR 1907 Cluj on 22 July. Nobody at the club will pretend it is what they paid for.
But write him off at your peril. Dziedzic is 29, not a project, and a right midfielder who has spent six years being the man defenders plan around. The crowd still rises when he takes the ball; the numbers simply have not followed yet. "He is working, and we are working with him," is the line from the club. Fair enough. Judge him when the season has a shape, not seven games in.