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'Bull'Will Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) take on a new challenge.
Hwang Hee-chan is once again connecting with the prestigious French city of Marseille. On the 12th (Korea time), Fabrizio Romano, who is called the top authority in the European transfer market, posted on his SNS, "'Hwang Hee-chan is a candidate for recruitment by several clubs in 2025. Wolverhampton reported last summer that it rejected Marseille's offer of 20 million euros (about 37.5 billion won) for Hwang Hee-chan. Then 'Wolverhampton is in a complicated situation under Gary O'Neill this season. As a result, interest in Hwang Hee-chan remains active,' he said.
Hwang Hee-chan fell into the worst slump this season, and he did not score a single offensive point in 11 games. In the end, he was pushed out of the starting position. It's an unexpected result. Hwang Hee-chan was Wolverhampton's ace last season. Hwang Hee-chan, who wore a Wolverhampton uniform in 2020, has just continued to do so, but he emerged as a top striker through last season. He was considered the most decisive player in the English Premier League, displaying amazing determination. He scored a career-high 13 goals. He scored 10 goals in the first half alone. He received rave reviews from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and even earned the nickname `The Korean Guy.'
Wolverhampton, encouraged by Hwang Hee-chan's performance, pushed for a renewal. He renewed his contract until the summer of 2028 with the highest salary in the team. Hwang Hee-chan received a love call from a big club all summer. Coach Roberto de Gerby, who took the helm of Marseille in recognition of his leadership at Brighton, wanted Hwang Hee-chan. Hwang Hee-chan chose to stay in Wolverhampton. Hwang Hee-chan "I had to make a big decision this summer"Marceille made me an offer, and I spoke to O'Neill several times. De Zerby called me almost every day." Then "I trusted the director (O'Neill). He said I was a very important player, which gave me faith. After O'Neill said that, I said I would stay at Wolverhampton and give it my all."
He expected a consistent performance this season, but Hwang Hee-chan was reduced to Gye-reuk in his worst form. Wolverhampton's Molineux News said it was more about position than Hwang Hee-chan's skills. Molineux News is 'Maybe it's a position issue. Some people point out that Hwang Hee-chan is not effective when he plays in a large space. 'Wolverhampton came into the box more often from the centre last season because he didn't have a traditional striker, but this season he can't because he has Jergen Stran Larsen.'
Recently, Hwang Hee-chan played on the bench and was reduced to a disused replacement instead of changing the course of the game, saying 'O'Ne preferred Hodrigo Gomes, Jean-Liquene Velegard and Gonzalo Guedes instead of Hwang Hee-chan, and now Hwang Hee-chan's future has been questioned' Coach O'Neill also regretted Hwang Hee-chan's situation, saying, `Now, if I put Hwang Hee-chan in, I will be criticized.'
Rumors of a release have already been made in the British media. The Athletic have three months left before the winter transfer window opens. If he does not regain his starting position by then, there will be new discussions about the future in January next year.'"
It seems to be becoming a reality. Fortunately, there are quite a few teams of interest. Although Romano did not mention it, Marseille is considered one of them. Marseille targeted Hwang Hee-chan last summer.L'Equipe said, `Hwang Hee-chan was included in the list of strikers set by Marseille Bodezin, and De Gerby also confirmed this.'Hwang Hee-chan was nominated for a striker by Marseille along with Mason Greenwood, and De Gerby also likes his style. He also faced Hwang Hee-chan when he was manager of Brighton. However, he said negotiations have not yet begun. L'Equipe said that while he is still looking for an annual salary surplus for liquidity, Marseille has not yet begun negotiations between the clubs.
Foot Mercato says 'Marceille is interested in Greenwood, but controversially. Several Marseille fans criticized the club's leadership for trying to recruit Greenwood, who had a good performance at Getafe but was accused of assault in the past, saying that Hwang Hee-chan, who had a good season at Wolverhampton, is also tracking down by Marseille. Marcéu Chairman Pablo Longoria liked Hwang Hee-chan, who scored 13 goals and 3 assists in 31 games in all tournaments last season.
Marseille chose a major change this summer. Famous man Marseille, who won nine League 1 titles and the European Champions League, fell into a slump last season and remained eighth in the league. The last victory was also the last in the 2011-2012 League Cup. Marcelo appointed De Gerby, who showed off his incredible leadership at Brighton. It was literally a surprise appointment.
De Zerby took the helm of Brighton to replace Graham Potter, who suddenly left for Chelsea. De Zerby made his professional debut with AC Milan and played for Napoli. After that, he took off his soccer boots in 2013. He immediately followed the leader's path. He began his coaching career at Darpo Boario in 2013 and continued to manage on the Italian stage. Showing promise at Sassuolo, coach De Zerby unleashed Poten at Brighton. Led the team to sixth place in the 2022-2023 season. Brighton became the first player in the club's history to advance to the European club competition. Although it did not meet expectations this season, it still showed off its leadership by leading the Europa League to the round of 16 for the first time in history.
De Zerby received love calls from Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Barcelona. On May 18, the sudden announcement of the breakup was made, and while being courted by a big club, Gerby's choice was surprisingly Marseille. With his aggressive moves, Marseille has taken on a young mastermind that all of Europe is paying attention to.
De Zerby sought to strengthen the offensive with the start of the Marseille Resurrection Project. One of them was Hwang Hee-chan. Hwang Hee-chan, who has gone through refurbishment, Salzburg, Hamburg and Leipzig, successfully transferred to Wolverhampton on loan in the summer of 2021. Hwang Hee-chan, who made his debut goal in the EPL, scored four goals in six games and was also selected as Wolverhampton Player of the Month that month. Hwang Hee-chan, who officially became a Wolverhampton player for a transfer fee of 16 million euros by invoking the full recruitment clause, scored only four goals in the 2022-2023 season. He had a chance to trust coach Julen Lopetegui, but failed to perform properly due to frequent injuries. The possibility of Hwang Hee-chan being released after the end of the season was also discussed. AS Roma and others were mentioned, but in the end, Hwang Hee-chan remained in Wolverhampton.
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Hwang Hee-chan in the new season has changed dramatically. Showing off his amazing determination, he scored 12 goals and 3 assists in 29 games in the EPL in the 2023-2024 season. It was the first double-digit score in the EPL. He scored 13 goals including the Cup. It has emerged as a striker that England is paying attention to, with the highest level among EPL players in scoring per shot. Although his scoring streak slowed down a bit after the Asian Cup, it was a season enough to be recognized for his value. Coach De Zerby also watched all of Hwang Hee-chan's appearances. Marseille also seems to have been watching Hwang Hee-chan for a long time, including the chairman.
Hwang Hee-chan's absence is getting longer after he was injured in the A-match in October. There is a good chance that Wolverhampton, who needs cash right away, will send Hwang Hee-chan, who can earn a lot of money. Marseille is currently emerging as a big player in the French league, and Hwang Hee-chan's annual salary can be fully covered. Attention is focusing on Hwang Hee-chan's choice this winter.
vanbasten@sportschosun.com
