With international experience, versatility and stunning technique, Jesper Karlstrom is ready to bolster the Udinese midfield, having put pen to paper on a two-year contract with the option for further years.
The Swede has joined Udinese from Lech Poznan and will give coach Kosta Runjaic more options in the middle of the park.
Born in Stockholm on 21 June 1995, Karlstrom came up through the youth ranks at Brommapojkarna, where he broke into the first team in 2013 and racked up 48 appearances and five goals in the Swedish league and club before moving to Djurgarden in the Swedish capital.
While at the Stockholm-based club, he immediately made a big impact and became a regular starter in the Champions League and Europa League. Karlstrom ended up leaving his home country in 2020 with a Swedish league title in 2019 and a Swedish cup in 2018 to his name, having found the net 13 times in 171 appearances.
His next destination was Polish side Lech Poznan, where he remained until his switch to Udinese. While in Poland, Jesper consolidated his experience on the European stage and tasted glory in the Polish league in 2021/22.
During four seasons at Lech Poznan, the midfielder made 23 appearances in the Champions League (qualifying rounds) and the Conference League, with an overall record of five goals in 143 matches.
The Swede has 13 senior international caps under his belt and has regularly featured for his country, having gone up through the youth ranks, where he made six appearances and scored once for the under-17s, played six times for the under-18s, ten for the under-19s, twice for the under-20s and found the net once in his five caps at under-21 level.
Welcome to Udinese, Jesper!