Alex Paulsen (AFC Bournemouth | England) [Loan: Lechia Gdańsk | Poland]

Since Will Dennis got game time during preseason and Paulsen didn't - Neto leaving feels like he's going from 4th choice to 3rd choice.

Would be happy if he gets himself to 2nd choice and therefore on the bench during the season, but if he's going to stay 3rd choice I think I'd personally rather him get a loan somewhere in Europe

Big development with that Neto departure, saving big money on wages. Still a reasonable guess that they'll replace with someone more (closer to) premier league ready than Dennis and Pauslen.

Training first team and playing some for U21s would be ideal, does it happen much do you know?

Irony for Paulsen vs Crocombe is, presuming regular playing is required to make the national team #1, there's six quality internationals coming up Sept, Oct, Nov. If one plays and the other doesn't, does the number 1 NZ shirt follow and they start the internationals?

Henry Gray since being at Ipswich has had long stretches playing U21s before going out on loan. Paulsen is yes older and a better player than Gray

Joe Gauci had time on the bench at Villa before going out on loan

Basically AP is in a big learning phase at the moment. I remember some young keeper signing for an EPL club (Gauci?) saying that even adapting to the pace and power of shots coming at you at training was a challenge. Everything just levels up from say the ALM. It can take some time to settle in and adjust to Europe. And for keepers your mistakes are less forgiving than with outfield players. Better to be “over ready” than under

Also the perfect loan deal for AP may take time for the Cherries to find. Some other keeper picking up a long term injury or something. Again it might be that Jan window before he goes out on loan. Who knows

That would be the perfect scenario as it’s a long season in the UK.

6 months on the bench and having quality training at a prem club and keeping his face in the frame.

Then an injury at a championship club and constant games, two per week for the rest of the season, keeping him active for the World Cup.

Best case scenarios don’t usually occur but he could always get an ounce of luck.

We might get a gauge of who is where on 26 August.  Bournemouth are drawn at home to Brentford in the League Cup.  Competition where clubs commonly run their back ups from the start of the 90 minutes, even when playing another Prem club.  Especially in the early rounds.

Bournemouth's #1 pretty average against Liverpool. Paulsen must be thinking he has a shot of usurping him this season on this morning's evidence

Little bit concerning however he wasn’t on the bench so unlikely number two.

You would have to think a loan is coming.

Send him to QPR please. We need a decent keeper.

imanixsupporter

Bournemouth's #1 pretty average against Liverpool. Paulsen must be thinking he has a shot of usurping him this season on this morning's evidence

I think Petrovic will end up having a very good season tbh

On the SWFC GK situation.

I think our best chance will be an emergency loan rather than a free transfer.

Alex Paulsen at Bournemouth isn't getting on the bench above Will Dennis.

And are both back up to Petrovic.

I'd be ringing Bournemouth and enquiring about either of them.

— TW Football (@TWFootball1867) August 21, 2025

 Very unlikely but would be very cool though if they could swing it, he’d fit the bill perfectly. 

Wednesday dont seem to be in a healthy place. Unpaid wages and financial troubles with the chairman. A couple of fans on the Owls fan forum have brought up Pauksens name though to rectify the goalie emergency situation. 

Heading to Polish club Lechia Gdańsk on loan.

2nd season back in the Ekstraklasa, after a couple of seasons in the 2nd tier.

https://www.transferfeed.com/transfers/alexander-paulsen-afc-bournemouth-lechia-gdansk/16128482

Lechia Gdańsk is poised to acquire a new goalkeeper, with Alex Paulsen, a 23-year-old New Zealander, expected to join the team on loan from Bournemouth. This information was shared by Piotr Potępa. Paulsen was reportedly seen in the stands during the Trójmiasto derby.

He had previously transferred to Bournemouth from Wellington Phoenix FC after a successful stint in the A-League. Paulsen has not yet debuted for Bournemouth, as he was immediately loaned to Auckland FC, where he recorded 13 clean sheets in 28 matches. His contract with Bournemouth is valid until 2028, and Transfermarkt estimates his market value at €750k.

Paulsen's move to Lechia Gdańsk comes at a time when the team requires a strong competitor for their current goalkeeper, Szymon Weirauch, due to Bohdan Sarnawski's long-term injury.

Lechia Gdańsk to sign goalkeeper Alex Paulsen on loan from Bournemouth, as confirmed by @PiotrPotepa #AFCB pic.twitter.com/payAoRy8Jz

— Talkcherries_afcb (@TalkBournemouth) August 24, 2025

mrsmiis

Heading to Polish club Lechia Gdańsk on loan.

Fudge, that'd be a grim place to live

Interesting move, club is sitting bottom of the top Polish league after 5 games, conceded 17 goals in that time maybe they need a decent shot stopper?
looks like the club is on the rebuild after returning to the top flight but also concerning is that the owners are under some financial stress with staff salary payments being delayed 

So brains trust, is this a good move? I know zero about polish league, how does it compare to ALM and say the English pyramid 

its not a terrible league, Polish clubs have been doing okay in Europa league type competitions in recent years.. The issue there is hooliganism, often corrupt league & club officials makes it a league that doesnt reach its potential.. As lnog as he gets regular game time, it will be a good thing me thinks 

YellowAndBlack

So brains trust, is this a good move? I know zero about polish league, how does it compare to ALM and say the English pyramid 

Rusty Dunks

mrsmiis

Heading to Polish club Lechia Gdańsk on loan.

Fudge, that'd be a grim place to live

I reckon it would be quite cool for say 6 months. On the Baltic Coast. Short ferry trips to Denmark, Germany, Baltic states etc if he got any time off. You even have that interesting little Russian Kaliningrad enclave nearby.

Remembering the Polish league has a winter break from mid December to mid February. So maybe he can jump on a plane and have a few weeks in NZ around Christmas. Cherries may even recall him in the January window.

But at the end of the day he's there to play football, and continue his keeper development.

Its not a bad place to live tbf. Poland has gone through a lot of gentrifications in recent years especially in urban areas... A weekend in Krakow & Warsaw will be spent in its many bars, restaurants & excellent nightlife. In rural areas is still rather gloomy, and far-right nationalism is still a thing 

Polands a great place, a lot of eastern and central Europe has an undeserved reputation. And the gentrification is true,  i used to work for a company that moved a lot of it's jobs from the UK to Poland for the cheap labor but around 2018 started moving them back because the wages in Poland were too high and it was more cost effective to have those jobs back in the UK.

Without double checking, would Paulsen be the first kiwi to play in the Ekstraklasa?

HattyCW

Without double checking, would Paulsen be the first kiwi to play in the Ekstraklasa?

Depends on your definition of Kiwi. All White Themi Tzimopoulos had a few seasons in the Ekstraklasa with Korona Kielce near the end of his career.

Looks like 39 yr old Themi has finally retired. Played 8 games in the 2023/24 season with Kozani in the Greek 2nd tier.

Do we know if it is a full season transfer or just a half season loan?

For his All Whites aspirations probably  not a bad move provided of course he is number one there and Crocombe continues to sit on the bench at Millwall.

A step up from the A league and no doubt he had a chat to Zawada about Poland. 

Not ideal imo. They sit dead last in the league and are leaking goals for fun. 

Maybe Paulsen can help them but an incompetent defence infront is only gonna make him look worst. 

Would’ve preferred a League One loan move tbh but oh well. This will be the beginning of loan sprees for him as they’ve done for Will Dennis in the past. 

Fans look nuts too. One quick Google of "Lechia Gdansk tifo" will give you a bit of insight... dare I say it edges out the Port...

IMO, it's a disappointing move. I'm trying to look at this objectively as I'm not the most knowledgeable on the level of the Polish league, so I can't accurately surmise Bournemouth's opinion on the developmental benefit of the move. 

My point of worry is that judging off fan opinions, the current #1 Weihrauch seems pretty entrenched and just had a starring performance in a 1-0 derby win over Arka Gdynia. They seem to think that Paulsen will offer Weihrauch competition rather than instantly usurp his starting spot.

Worth mentioning that the Bournemouth brass absolutely love Dennis and his role in the squad this season seems to be a reward for his loyalty. Would have been hard for Paulsen to pass him in the pecking order, even if he's more impressive on paper

Now it’s wait and see.
Does he force his way into that number 1 role or does he spend a loan spell warming the bench in the polish cold 

Poland’s an awesome place.

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Can't see that Foley owns a stake in Gdansk??

But maybe yes it will be a off the record you play our guy Paulsen in goal, we will sort out your financial woes!

coochiee

Can't see that Foley owns a stake in Gdansk??

But maybe yes it will be a off the record you play our guy Paulsen in goal, we will sort out your financial woes!

I think Flying Kiwis probably just means hopefully Bournemouth will pay Paulsen's wages rather than having to rely on Gdansk to pay him

Half a Pint

coochiee

Can't see that Foley owns a stake in Gdansk??

But maybe yes it will be a off the record you play our guy Paulsen in goal, we will sort out your financial woes!

I think Flying Kiwis probably just means hopefully Bournemouth will pay Paulsen's wages rather than having to rely on Gdansk to pay him

Some loan spells work that way.

theprof

Half a Pint

coochiee

Can't see that Foley owns a stake in Gdansk??

But maybe yes it will be a off the record you play our guy Paulsen in goal, we will sort out your financial woes!

I think Flying Kiwis probably just means hopefully Bournemouth will pay Paulsen's wages rather than having to rely on Gdansk to pay him

Some loan spells work that way.

Yeah that's allegedly what happened for Paulsen's loan to Auckland last season

Half a Pint

theprof

Half a Pint

coochiee

Can't see that Foley owns a stake in Gdansk??

But maybe yes it will be a off the record you play our guy Paulsen in goal, we will sort out your financial woes!

I think Flying Kiwis probably just means hopefully Bournemouth will pay Paulsen's wages rather than having to rely on Gdansk to pay him

Some loan spells work that way.

Yeah that's allegedly what happened for Paulsen's loan to Auckland last season

Stil in the Aleague his salary was counted in the cap even though Auckland were not paying it. (I think).

coochiee

HattyCW

Without double checking, would Paulsen be the first kiwi to play in the Ekstraklasa?

Depends on your definition of Kiwi. All White Themi Tzimopoulos had a few seasons in the Ekstraklasa with Korona Kielce near the end of his career.

Looks like 39 yr old Themi has finally retired. Played 8 games in the 2023/24 season with Kozani in the Greek 2nd tier.

I have a vague memory of Aaran Lines playing in Poland, but may have been second division...

Khalil Media

coochiee

HattyCW

Without double checking, would Paulsen be the first kiwi to play in the Ekstraklasa?

Depends on your definition of Kiwi. All White Themi Tzimopoulos had a few seasons in the Ekstraklasa with Korona Kielce near the end of his career.

Looks like 39 yr old Themi has finally retired. Played 8 games in the 2023/24 season with Kozani in the Greek 2nd tier.

I have a vague memory of Aaran Lines playing in Poland, but may have been second division...

Pretty sure Lines was shanking them into the shins of the first defender in the top division there.

Poland is the one European country without any refugee problems at all. The place to be if you want to live in Europe. 

There is some hidden meaning in there somewhere 

Not that hidden 

Wouldnt say they dont have any refugee issues. They have over 1 million Ukranian refugees and i can assure you they arnt the most popular in some areas.

Anyway, I actually rate Poland as a country. It's actually very modern and developed in the major cities. If you are earning a western salary, you'll be living extremely well.

And in my experience, the vast majority of Polish people I've met are very hospitable and welcoming.

No country is without it's flaws, but the point is there's many worse places to live, in my humble opinion...