Marcin Bulka has always found patience lacking. If he makes it through at Cobham, his chances of breaking into Chelsea's first team will be limited. The wait to establish himself would have been long, perhaps even endless, and he had the clarity to recognize that.
That's why he exchanged Chelsea for PSG. But a familiar problem awaited the Polish international at the Parc des Princes. There too, prospects were limited, especially after the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma, who joined PSG on a free transfer thanks to his heroics at the 2021 Euros. Aware that he was – at best – the third choice, with the aging Keylor Navas for him, as well as the (at the time) seemingly movable Donnarumma, the number 1 jersey at PSG seemed nailed down for the decade. A move was only logical.
And so he moved to OGC Nice. The competition was expected to be lighter, but even here he found his playing time initially limited. He was initially loaned out to Le Gym, with the move becoming permanent in the summer of 2022, seemingly with the promise of finally wearing the No. 1 jersey he has long coveted.
But that same summer, Kasper Schmeichel arrived and was reported to have received promises himself. Orders from above, more specifically from INEOS, saw Schmeichel appointed as the undisputed number 1. So it was another long season watching from the sidelines for Bulka, whose wait for regular first-team action seemed interminable.
Even in the summer of 2023, incoming manager Francesco Farioli had to make a decision. The Italian kept the tension going until the final moments, refusing to reveal the identity of his season No. 1 until announcing his line-up on matchday one. He insisted it was a tight call, one he did not take lightly but one he admitted would have significant consequences for whoever missed the ball.
So it turned out. Schmeichel was dethroned and hastily left the Allianz Riviera. Bulka finally got his chance and he grabbed it with both gloves. He immediately showed Chelsea and PSG what they had missed. He won September's Player of the Month in 2023 before going 78 days without conceding a goal for club or country, while keeping 10 clean sheets in his first 13 games of the season.
“In four months he evolved from a luxury substitute to one of the most watched goalkeepers in international football. He knows what level he has to stay at,” Farioli said at the end of 2023. Boulka knew what level he had to stay at, and he has maintained it. Nice qualified for the UEFA Europa League and finished the season with just 29 goals in Ligue 1, the best record in the French top flight.
Bulka's own statistics told the story. His save percentage of 77.1% was the fourth best in Ligue 1 and ninth best in Europe's top five divisions; he kept the most clean sheets in Ligue 1 (17) and third place in the top five European divisions; and he had the ninth-best save percentage in the top five European divisions. It was an emphatic season of announcing himself to the world.
It felt like a statement for PSG and Chelsea, but above all he gave the appearance of a man on a personal mission to make up for lost time. His path is in stark contrast to that of former teammate Donnarumma. “The only difference (between Donnarumma and Bulka) is the number of matches played,” Farioli began at a press conference in March.
“Donnarumma had already played a large number of matches at Marcin's age, 350 I believe. It's been a slightly different path for Marcin, but his progress is visible. What he needs now is experience and continuity and development as a leader. It is a matter of time, not a long time, but he is making up for that lost time,” he added.
Bulka wanted to confirm his rise this season. Statistically, this season is in some ways more impressive than the last. He has made the most saves (63) in Ligue 1 and ranks fourth in the top five European divisions; and he has the second-best save percentage (79%) in Ligue 1 and the fourth-best in Europe's top five divisions.
However, these statistics also point to the defensive problems Nice are facing this season. Their defense is only eighth in Ligue 1 this season and Bulka is certainly more visible and – on the face of it – less imposing than last year. This is of course only based on the very high standards he himself set.
On the ball he remains calm as ever, not even nervous when pressured, rarely making the wrong decision and showing a great degree of passing (10th in Ligue 1 for progressive passing distance). He has been a key player over the past two seasons, but there are doubts over his future at Nice.
The Poland international's current contract runs until the end of next season but he has already rejected an extension offer amid reports he wants out. “All I can say is that I am very committed to Nice […] We are currently in discussions, so a lot can still happen. You never know,” Bulka said, regarding his contract situation.
There's an argument to say that Bulka is now ready for the next challenge anyway. He has shown that he is capable of wearing the number 1 jersey of someone from Europe's elite; he would certainly be an improvement on Chelsea's current goalkeeping options. From Kepa Arrizbalaga to Edouard Mendy and now Robert Sanchez, the Premier League side's first picks have failed to make much of an impact since Bulka left for 2019. Bulka wasn't supposed to be at Chelsea, but he's certainly the No. 1. That got away.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
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