Maksym Khlan's Potential Switch
The Polish national team is considering the naturalization of Ukrainian footballer Maksym Khlan, who is exploring options to obtain Polish citizenship. Khlan, a 23-year-old winger, has risen to prominence through his performances for the club Górnik Zabrze. Despite progressing through Ukraine's youth national teams, he has yet to receive a call-up to the senior squad.
Born in Zhytomyr, Khlan played for Lechia Gdańsk in Poland before his move to Zabrze. His career in Ukraine included spells with Zorya Luhansk and Karpaty Lviv. For various Ukrainian youth national teams, he made 36 appearances and scored 5 goals.
Prospects with Poland
In the 2025/26 Polish league season, he played 22 matches for Górnik Zabrze, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists. Maksym Khlan's current market value is estimated at €1.5 million. Poland's head coach, Jan Urban, is reportedly interested in recruiting the talented player for his side.
This would not be the first such case; in 2018, Taras Romanczuk, a native of Kovel, debuted for Poland and later represented the country at Euro 2024. This precedent highlights the Polish Football Association's openness to naturalizing players from Ukraine. Currently, Ukraine's head coach Serhiy Rebrov has not offered Khlan a chance with the senior national team, which may be a factor in his consideration of Polish citizenship.
Thus, Maksym Khlan, having attracted interest from Poland, continues to focus on his development and the potential opportunity to join a national team that could offer him new prospects on the international stage. The situation reflects a broader trend of Ukrainian players exploring naturalization in Poland, driven by both sporting ambitions and the search for competitive opportunities. This approach allows national teams to strengthen their squads by accessing talent developed in neighboring football systems.