Is it true that Olympique Marseille is trying to recruit Hwang Hee-chan.
France's L'Equipe said on the 4th (Korea time) 'Korean national striker Hwang Hee-chan is on the list of strikers recognized by Marseille's management and verified by coach Roberto de Gervi. He is a player who has been unanimously agreed to recruit. Hwang Hee-chan, who scored 12 goals in the English Premier League (EPL) last season at Wolverhampton, said that Marseille is one of the players who can solve the dynamic problem in attack.
Marseille needs a lot of money to move to recruit Hwang Hee-chan. The transfer fee recorded by Max Kilman, a key Wolverhampton defender, when he moved to West Ham United is 47.5 million euros (about 71 billion won).
The transfer fee set for Hwang Hee-chan may be lower than that of Kilman. Kilman was the team's captain, born in 1997, a year younger than Hwang Hee-chan, and is a left-footed centre-back who is very popular in the transfer market these days. The value of the player is also 32 million euros (about 47.8 billion won), higher than Hwang Hee-chan, who is 25 million euros (about 37.4 billion won).
However, there is no reason for Wolverhampton to sell Hwang Hee-chan, who has emerged as the core of the team since last season, cheaply. This is because they have signed a long-term contract, and their ransom has risen sharply last season. No matter how little it is caught, it will cost more than 30 million euros (about 44.8 billion won).
From 30 million euros, it is not an amount that Marseille can easily afford. The club's highest transfer fee is 32 million euros (about 47.8 billion won) recorded when Vitinha was acquired in the 2022-2024 season. Even if it exceeds 20 million euros (about 29.8 billion won), it is the fifth-largest transfer fee in the club's history.
While Marseille is unlikely to be able to easily recruit Hwang Hee-chan, news has emerged that Marseille is looking for another striker. L'Equipe said on the 11th 'Marceille got back in touch with Alexis Sanchez. Sanchez is in contact with Marseille again, although his contract with Inter Milan has ended. There are still many obstacles to overcome, but they seem to be attractive cards for each other.
Sanchez played for Marseille for a year before playing for Inter Milan in the 2023-2024 season. He showed consistent performance with 18 goals and 3 assists in 44 official matches. He was the top scorer in Marseille. Sanchez is a free agent because his contract with Inter Milan is over. It can be recruited without a transfer fee. He was born in 1988 and is in his mid-30s, but he will be a welcome recruit for fans because of his scoring ability in Marseille. There is no financial burden as there is no need for a transfer fee.
If Marseille sincerely brings Sanchez to bring Mason Greenwood from Manchester United, rumors of Hwang Hee-chan's recruitment are likely to end with happening.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
