Half a year at the club that is playing the best football in Montenegro this season was enough for Andrija Bulatović's talent to "emerge" in the most beautiful way.
So much so that an invitation followed that could not be refused - from one of the strongest European leagues, from Lens, a team that two years ago was the runner-up in France behind the undisputed Paris Saint-Germain.
"With Andrija Bulatović, everything is happening quickly, at only 16 years old he became a professional, and now the guy who was born at the foot of the Bjelasica mountain is preparing for a new mountain - the French Ligue 1," Lens introduced the guy from Kolašin.
The Pearl of the Future shone from his first days in the blue and white jersey and in the matches in the Conference League, and his great games, understanding of football and maturity on the field - even though he recently turned 18 - continued in the domestic championship.
All of this did not go unnoticed by the team from "Felix Boleara", who secured the young Montenegrin's signature this January for a contract until June 2028, with the proviso that he will remain in Podgorica until the end of this season and help Buducnost regain the title.
"Andrija is someone who fits perfectly into the identity of Lens, but we will have to be patient with this young guy. Therefore, before he commits himself to our club in the long term, he will finish the 2024/25 season in the colors of Buducnost Podgorica. This step will allow him to continue his progress in an environment he knows and to best prepare for his arrival in Ligue 1," said Pierre Dreossi, Lens' sporting director.
Bulatović took his first steps in football at Gorštak, after which he wore the jerseys of Kom and Rudar, before joining Buducnost last summer. And when the most trophy-winning Montenegrin club and Lens are in the same sentence, the association is clear.
"And his compatriot Anto Drobnjak, the famous Lens striker and French champion in 1998 with our club (scoring 14 goals in the championship season), played for the team from Podgorica from 1990 to 1992," it is written on the Lens website.
Bulatović is part of the super-talented "2006 generation" of Montenegrin football, although much younger, he has already played for our youth (U-21) national team, and if he continues as he has so far, we should expect him to be in the middle of the A selection very soon.
It wouldn't be a surprise if the 2026 World Cup qualifiers start in March.
Bonus video:
