MARCIN BULKA: WHO ARE YOU?

Just a few days ago, it looked extremely likely that Marcin Bulka was coming to Sunderland. As things stand, it looks like the goalkeeper has a choice to make: Saudi wages, or Premier League football? We'll happily admit that we've never seen him play - so, we enlisted the help of Bruno Martel from the Nice fanzine QVLD because Bruno watches him week-in, week-out!

Bulka has been linked with a move away from Nice all summer. Why is he expected to leave the club?

First of all, to remove any doubt, it's not at all a question of sports performance. Bulka joined us in 2021, first on loan as a number two and then we bought him permanently, again to fill that position. So he arrived on a fairly low salary, in line with his “backup” status. He became the first-choice keeper for the 2023/2024 season, confirming the expectations placed in him. The sport director at the time (Florent Ghisolfi, who has now joined Sunderland) promised him in March 2024 that he would receive a pay rise and a contract extension at the end of the that season, making him one of the club's top earners.

However, during that summer of 2024, when he was due to receive this offer, our owner INEOS (who had just taken a stake in Manchester United) decided to spend less at Nice and therefore no longer offer Marcin a high salary. Bulka decided that the club was not keeping its promise and, despite several following proposals for salary increases, he decided not to extend his contract.

As a result, he will be free next summer (2026), and as the club wants to make money on a transfer, it is preferred to sell him now rather than let him go for free at the end of next season.

Sunderland will be major underdogs in the Premier League next season. Why might he choose us over a move to Saudi club, Neom?

Staying with us is clearly impossible for the reasons given above. Nice are also pushing him to leave by looking for a substitute.

I think he must have fond memories of his time at Chelsea in England and that it's a league in which he'll be able to perform well and keep his profile high. I'm not saying that he necessarily sees Sunderland as a springboard, but if he performs well, it could open doors for him in top clubs (a bit more than Galatasaray or Saudi in any case).

Did the fact that the coach is French and Florent Ghisolfi’s potential involvement also influence his choice? It's possible, I think.

The rumoured fee is around 20 million Euros. Are you happy with that price?

If we finish at that price, I think it will be very good for Nice, but in my opinion it will end up being a bit less. Based on his sport performances and his age, 20 million seems to me to be a reasonable price, but his contractual situation (the fact that he'll be free in a year's time) should logically bring that amount down (I imagine that Nice are hoping to use the competition to reach that figure and start a bit of a bidding war).

Anthony Patterson's biggest weaknesses are probably his distribution and also how he commands the box. How does Bulka do in these areas of his game?

Unfortunately for you, I think we can point to the same areas of improvement for Bulka. He's very strong on his line but I find him less effective in the air. In any case, he clearly has room for improvement. I wouldn't rate his footwork as either a weakness or a strength. Mentally and motivation-wise though, there's nothing to say, he's a warrior.

Standing at 6 foot 6, I assume he is a towering presence in goal. Is this correct?

On his line, without a doubt, he's very imposing. In the air, on crosses, I thought he didn't get out quickly enough. I don't know if it was the coach's instructions, but given his size, you'd expect him to come out a lot more and impose himself on every cross/corner.

Do you know if Marcin speaks English?

I think so. He spent three years at Chelsea and given the good level of French he had when he arrived with us (after only two years in Paris), I don't think he had any trouble learning English.

One of Patterson's biggest qualities is the way he doesn't get flustered by anything, he's very level-headed and calm. How does Bulka compare in that sense?

I find Bulka rather expressive. It's not unusual to see him haranguing his team-mates or celebrating after a major save. He's not eccentric either, but he knows how to motivate his defence.

After that, he also knows how to keep his head. For example, during a derby in Monaco, he saved two penalties in the same match. For a high-stakes match in a particular context, that's not an insignificant performance.

For a goalkeeper who is so tall, how does he deal with low shots into the bottom corner of the net?

In the 2023/2024 season, I thought he was pretty good in this area and wasn't shocked by it. Last season, there were a few games where I didn't think he was as good in that respect. Particularly, there was a game at Strasbourg where he conceded two goals that he could have avoided but that shouldn't be the basis for judging his level. Having an off-game can happen.

To compensate, here's his best game with Nice last year, against PSG in Paris.

25 is still young for a goalkeeper. Do you believe he can keep improving?

Yes, he is very young for a goalkeeper and I think England will do him good. He's very physical and I think he should take advantage of all this to improve his aerial game. He's strong and there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to do that. We'll also have to see what your system of play is and whether he'll be called on a lot in the build-up or not.

As a youngster he's played at Chelsea and also PSG. That's really high pedigree, do you think he could reach those heights in his career?

As mentioned in the previous question, he still has room for improvement, so I don't think this type of club is unattainable for him. He can aim for this kind of club in a few seasons' time, I think, by being more regular too.

Apparently he's good friends with Thibaut Courtois from their time at Chelsea, are there any similarities in their game?

There are worse comparisons to be made! I'm not an expert on the qualities of goalkeepers, but yes, I'd say he's close. Bulka, on the other hand, seems a lot stronger - but maybe I haven't seen Courtois up close enough.

Finally, what are Bulka's biggest strengths and weaknesses?

His physique may be both! He's imposing in goal, so he makes a lot of saves, but being so tall, he must also have a better aerial game. We'll also have to look at his footwork, which has alternated between the good and the not-so-good, so it's hard for me to make up my mind. In any case, he experienced different styles of play at Nice, where he was called upon to help build the game.

At Nice he showed that his mental strength was one of his greatest assets. In 2022, just when he could have been a starter following the departure of our keeper (Walter Benitez, who has actually now signed for Crystal Palace), INEOS recruited Kasper Schmeichel, leaving him as a substitute keeper. He didn't give up, he didn't try to leave, he worked hard and the following season he became the first-choice keeper.

It's a shame to see him leave. If he goes to Sunderland, I hope you take care of him in any case.