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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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News has emerged that Hwang Hee-chan succeeded in a personal agreement with Marseille, increasing the possibility of a transfer. However, it is unclear whether Marseille will be able to meet Wolverhampton's required transfer fee.
France's Foot Mercato shed light on the possibility of Hwang Hee-chan's transfer to Marseille, saying on the 15th (Korea time) 'Hwang Hee-chan wants to join Marseille.
Marseille had already announced that he was interested in recruiting Hwang Hee-chan after France's L'Equipe reported on the 5th. As it was one of the most prestigious clubs representing France, Marseille's interest in recruiting attracted a lot of attention. Marseille is a team that has power in the European stage enough to reach the semifinals of the Europa League in the 2023-2024 season. In the 1992–1993 season, he also won the European Champions League. He is known as the best derby rival in the French league for his performance against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). If Hwang Hee-chan wears a Marseille uniform, he can face Lee Kang-in in the derby next season.
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Foot Mercato is the most active French club in the transfer market this summer. After Robert Dezerbi's appointment, the club began to look at the players it would recruit to strengthen its squad. The club has already announced the addition of Ismael Kone and Liliane Brashier to the midfield and defence. Now it's the offense's turn. Marseille is targeting several players. Recently, the British media reported Marseille's interest in Hwang Hee-chan. Hwang Hee-chan said that it is enough for Marseille to recruit.
Contrary to L'Equipe's report, the important point in this news was that Hwang Hee-chan's will had already been delivered to Marseille and Wolverhampton. Foot Mercato 'Wolverhampton wants to send Hwang Hee-chan at a higher price. There is also some hopeful news. According to the news, Hwang Hee-chan clearly conveyed his desire to transfer to Marseille. Marseille and Hwang Hee-chan also agreed on personal terms. He wants to play for Ligue 1, which increases the chances of Marseille's success in negotiations with Wolverhampton. All that remains is to persuade Wolverhampton to readjust his requirements' and that Hwang Hee-chan wants to move to Marseille.
This is not the first time that a prestigious club is interested in Hwang Hee-chan. Hwang Hee-chan has already been steadily attracting attention from several prestigious clubs since last winter. In particular, the names of English Premier League (EPL) big clubs such as Liverpool and Arsenal appeared last winter.
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Considering Hwang Hee-chan's performance, it was a natural step. Hwang Hee-chan played the season completely differently, contrary to concerns just before the opening of the 2023-2024 season.
Hwang Hee-chan, who completely transferred from RB Leipzig to Wolverhampton ahead of the 2022-2023 season, had a difficult time competing for the starting lineup due to Wolverhampton's financial problems and injuries during the transfer market last summer, raising the possibility of a transfer. Some media outlets reported that Hwang Hee-chan is leaving Wolverhampton this summer. Wolverhampton has faced FFP issues and will sell Hwang Hee-chan to balance the club's books, he also said.
The first team to show interest was Leeds. This is because Jesse Machi, who led Leeds, had experience coaching Hwang Hee-chan. However, Leeds were not as active in the summer transfer window when the manager left. Leeds local newspaper MOTRIZ News reported 'Liz, who showed interest in Hwang Hee-chan a year ago, is now losing interest. Hwang Hee-chan showed problems in his goal-scoring ability. He may be seeking new challenges overseas to get his career back on track. Leeds may be in either the English Premier League (EPL) or the Championship next season, but they need new faces ahead of the new season. However, Hwang Hee-chan evaluated that he would not be satisfied to play in a championship other than the EPL.
Newcastle showed interest. Football Inside of England is 'Wolverhampton must sell their squad to comply with financial fair play (FFP) regulations this summer. Hwang Hee-chan is also one of the players who Wolverhampton will leave the team to secure cash in the next transfer market. The Premier League team showing interest in him is Newcastle. Coach Eddie Howe wants to strengthen the team additionally, and Hwang Hee-chan is the player Newcastle is chasing, saying Newcastle wants Hwang Hee-chan.
However, neither Leeds nor Newcastle were handed a specific proposal for Hwang Hee-chan, and Hwang Hee-chan eventually stayed in the team and prepared for the new season. Hwang Hee-chan's 2023-2024 season was widely expected to not be easy, as rumors of a transfer were caught up and the manager changed.
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But he turned everything upside down with his ability. Under Gary O'Neill, Hwang Hee-chan showed off his outstanding scoring ability and took off as the main player without difficulty. During the season, he set a huge record of accumulating offensive points in six consecutive games, including Ipswich, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Newcastle, and Sheffield United in the third round of the League Cup. After the end of the season, Hwang Hee-chan was widely expected to continue to play as Wolverhampton's main player with recognition of his performance. In addition, in a situation where they were subject to release, they felt their position changed to the priority that other teams wanted to recruit.
It was the news of Hwang Hee-chan and Wolverhampton's renewal announcement that silenced the transfer rumors surrounding Hwang Hee-chan after his performance. Wolverhampton expressed satisfaction by officially announcing the renewal of his contract with Hwang Hee-chan in December last year when Hwang Hee-chan continued his performance. Hwang Hee-chan said of his feelings about renewing the contract, "I'm really happy to stay here and I want to say thank you to my teammates, staff, family and fans. I'm so happy to stay in Wolverhampton. I'm enjoying playing here, I'm enjoying all the life and football."
However, Marseille seems to be actively courting Hwang Hee-chan, who is only six months away from signing the contract, and is seeking to recruit him.
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Even if Hwang Hee-chan has expressed his willingness to transfer to the club through a transfer request and a personal agreement with Marseille, it is not known whether Wolverhampton will accept the transfer fee offer for Hwang Hee-chan. Wolverhampton rated Hwang Hee-chan very highly and had already appeared in the expected amount of transfer fees.
England's Football FanCast said: "'Wolverhampton could lose a key striker. The player in question is Hwang Hee-chan. He has had a very impressive season, and this summer produced a result where the European elite targeted him. He has been included in Marseille's recruitment list, a move approved by Dezerbi. However, his value has not yet been officially announced. 'Considering his contract is due in 2028, his value could be higher.'"
Hwang Hee-chan is similar to Diogo Jota, a former Wolverhampton star. It will be similar to when Diogo Jota moved to Liverpool for 41 million pounds (about 73 billion won). Wolverhampton has an advantage over the sale of Hwang Hee-chan this summer. This is because there are still four years left on the contract. If the offer comes in properly, it's unlikely they won't sell it, but they have to do their best to keep him, he said, evaluating Wolverhampton's position on Hwang Hee-chan.
If Hwang Hee-chan moves to the estimated value of £41 million, he will record a transfer fee that is almost equivalent to 50 million euros (about 75 billion won) for Kim Min-jae, the highest transfer fee ever for a Korean player. However, it is not easy for Marseille, who is interested in Hwang Hee-chan, to pay such transfer fees because they are difficult to pay unless they are EPL clubs and some mega clubs.
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In addition to this situation, the recent racist incident hit Hwang Hee-chan. Britain's 'Express & Star" is that the Wolverhampton practice match is tainted by racism. Daniel Podens was sent off for punching an opposing defender after hearing racist abuse against Hwang Hee-chan during a match against Como 1907. Wolverhampton will reportedly file an official complaint with the UEFA regarding the incident. Attention is also focusing on whether the incident will affect Hwang Hee-chan's transfer.
With the news that Hwang Hee-chan and Marseille have reached a personal agreement, great attention has been paid to Hwang Hee-chan's future this summer. It is up to Hwang Hee-chan and Wolverhampton to decide whether to leave the EPL, one of the best leagues in the world, and join France's prestigious Marseille.
digh1229@sportschosun.com
