Hwang Hee-chan is leaving Wolverhampton after the season! Where is the next destination? Marseille, France's second place?
Hwang Hee-chan is leaving Wolverhampton after the season! Where is the next destination? Marseille, France's second place?
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Hwang Hee-chan (29) is expected to eventually leave the Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The British media "Molinho News," which mainly delivers Wolverhampton's news, said on the 26th (Korean time) that "Wolves will be very busy this summer. Fans are being warned that they need to prepare for the transfer of famous players," adding that the possibility of a transfer of some players, including Hwang Hee-chan, is growing.
The media said, "Some stars may already be in the process of transfer negotiations. First of all, Nelsong Semedu is likely to leave the team after the contract expires. In addition, Matheus Cunha is also expected to leave the team through a transfer clause. He is currently receiving a lot of club attention," and after announcing the transfer of the two players, who are currently playing as main players, he said, "And according to journalist Liam Keane, another player who can leave the team is Hwang Hee-chan."
"Hwang Hee-chan is not having as good a season as he expected. Hwang Hee-chan had the best performance at Wolverhampton in the last season, but he has only scored two goals this season," Molineux News said. "Hwang Hee-chan, a 14-million-pound star, suffered a lot from his injury. Therefore, Liam Keane insisted that his performance at Molineux Stadium could be his last this season.
Liam Keane is a reporter for British media Express and Star who is known to be familiar with Wolverhampton news. He said on his personal broadcast as well as Molineux News that "Hwang Hee-chan is not happy at Wolverhampton these days," adding to the rumor of a transfer.
"Hwang Hee-chan is a player with scoring ability. However, he is struggling this season. He may want to be happy," Liam Keane said. "Hwang Hee-chan is not a player who causes trouble. Nevertheless, he doesn't look particularly happy this season."
In fact, Hwang Hee-chan, who emerged as the team's top scorer by scoring 13 goals in 31 games last season, has scored only two goals due to problems such as poor scoring ability, location anxiety, and injury. In particular, since former coach Gary O'Neill, who used Hwang Hee-chan as a perfect key resource, has been replaced, Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira has been completely pushed out of the starting line.
In addition, injuries such as ankle and hamstring recurred throughout the season, which has repeatedly hampered him. Even though he was in good condition, he often sat out due to injuries or stayed on the bench. There were only five starting games this season, and the average playing time was around 30 minutes, falling short of last year's half.
Recently, however, he seems to be recovering from injury and improving his physical condition. Despite his unstable position in the Korean national team, he has continued to play active roles in the Korean national team.
Earlier, Hwang Hee-chan scored his 16th A-match goal in the 41st minute of the first half in the 7th home game of the third qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup in Asia against Oman at Goyang Stadium on the 20th. As he performed well with his light physical movement, he seems to have completely shaken off the aftermath of his injury.
However, at the moment, the team's tactics and the manager's tendency will inevitably make the position unstable.
"It is clear that Hwang Hee-chan is at the level of the Premier League. However, both the club and the player themselves may feel that it is time to move on," Molineux News said. "Hwang Hee-chan has the characteristics preferred by many coaches and is still receiving attention from many clubs," in high regard for the possibility of a transfer.
Naturally, keen attention is paid to the next destination. The first team that comes to mind is Olympique de Marseille, a prestigious French club, which almost reached the verge of moving to the club last year.
Italian coach Roberto De Zerby, who was recognized for his leadership by leading Brighton and others in the Premier League, called Hwang Hee-chan directly ahead of last season and offered him a transfer.
Since July last year, news has been coming out that Hwang Hee-chan and Marseille have been connected through the French media, especially L'Equipe, which has the highest public confidence. In fact, both Hwang Hee-chan and Wolverhampton virtually acknowledged the transfer.
Above all, the possibility of a transfer was high in that it was the choice of De Zerby, a genius coach that Europe is paying attention to. De Zerby, an Italian-born, young coach born in 1979, has received a lot of attention since May 2021 when he led FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine's strongest team, to make a splash in his country and on the European stage.
He then showed off his attractive soccer skills in the Premier League. In September 2022, he replaced Graham Potter as the head coach of Brighton and Hove Albion FC. In the 2022-23 season, he elevated Brighton to sixth place, the highest PL ranking in the club's history, and led the team to advance to the European match.
In the end, De Zerby, who moved to France's prestigious Marseille ahead of last season, was the first to request the recruitment of Hwang Hee-chan and other strikers to strengthen his offense.
According to media at the time, Wolverhampton reportedly rejected Marseille's transfer offer of 21 million euros (31.4 billion won). Wolverhampton wanted around 30 million pounds (about 54 billion won) for Hwang Hee-chan's transfer fee, and Marseille reportedly rejected it.
In fact, in September last year, the British media "The Sun" exclusively reported Hwang Hee-chan's interview that De Zerby had a hot love call. At the time, Hwang Hee-chan said, "I made a big decision last summer. Marseille sent me a transfer offer, and I had several conversations with Martin O'Neill," adding, "De Zerby called me almost every day, but I decided to trust O'Neill. O'Neill gave me a firm belief, saying, "You are an important player in the Wolverhampton Squad," adding that O'Neill's trust in last season's breathing was the biggest background of his remaining in Marseille.
However, as previously stated, O'Neill, who gave Hwang Hee-chan deep trust, has already left Wolverhampton. Currently, Hwang Hee-chan's estimated transfer fee is around £14 million, down from £20 million last year.
If Marseille wants Hwang Hee-chan again, it is a transfer fee that is enough to cover as he already tried to pay about £21 million last year. Of course, discount on transfer fees is inevitable as his performance has been poor this season due to injuries, but if both Hwang Hee-chan and Wolverhampton choose to break up and Marseille wants him, it is expected to be able to coordinate.
De Zerby, who eventually brought in Mason Greenwood, who was the No. 1 option along with Hwang Hee-chan due to transfer fee issues, has been a big success as he ranked second in French Ligue 1 this season. For Marseille, which lost face by finishing eighth in the 2023-24 season, it is able to continue to give Zerby a boost as he holds both the results and contents.
However, De Zerby has recently been in public conflict with Greenwood, who has scored 15 goals and three assists in the 2024-25 season. Since early March, Greenwood has been publicly criticized by De Zerby for controversy over his poor performance. Since then, his position in the team has not been the same at the beginning of the season, with starting and replacing.
Marseille also seems to be widening its gap with PSG as it has been unstable in the league recently. In the last five games, PSG has only won and lost two games, with 68 points, beating Marseille with 49 points by a wide margin.
It remains to be seen whether Marseille, which is currently in fierce competition with AS Monaco, Nice, Lyon, and Lille, will be able to maintain its ranking within the top four, which is a place to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. However, it seems almost certain that it will find a new striker again next season. 메이저놀이터
Can Hwang Hee-chan, who is likely to leave Wolverhampton, reconnect with Marseille? Fans' eyes are already heading to next season.