Hwang becomes latest new signing

Wolves have signed South Korean international Hee Chan Hwang on a season-long loan with an option from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

The 25-year-old burst onto the scene at RB Salzburg, where he impressed with his goals and assists in the Champions League alongside Erling Haaland, and now provides a fresh attacking option to Bruno Lage.

Able to play both centrally and out wide, Hwang, who is appropriately nicknamed ‘The Bull’ due to his style of play and surname, moves to Molineux fresh from helping Leipzig to a second-place finish in the Bundesliga, making 26 appearances in all competitions.

The Leipzig move was reward for Hwang’s form at RB Salzburg, who brought the teenager to Europe from South Korea, where he’d smashed numerous records, both at school and international level.

When in Austria, Hwang was involved in high profile fixtures from a young age, starting the 2018 Europa League semi-final, before enjoying his first taste of Germany on loan at Hamburger SV.

Back at Salzburg, and now alongside Haaland and Takumi Minamino, Hwang shone on the Champions League stage during 2019/20, being directly involved in eight goals, and displaying both an eye for a pass and ability to dribble at pace with the ball.

It was 16 goals and 22 assists that season which saw Leipzig swoop for the attacker, who was a vital player for his country by this time, representing South Korea at both the 2016 Olympic Games and 2018 World Cup.

Having started this season at Leipzig, playing three times, Hwang now moves to the Premier League and will join Lage’s first-team group after returning from international duty with South Korea next week.

On the addition, Wolves technical director Scott Sellars said: “Hwang’s a player we’ve watched for a few years now, when he was at Salzburg. He’s got a lot of talent and is very versatile – he can play across all the front positions, a striker, second striker or wide. He had a fantastic goal scoring record at Salzburg and will give us a good option in the front areas.

“He’s got a good pedigree, having played Champions League football and at a World Cup. He’s got a lot of pace, power and strength – he’s probably a little bit different to what we’ve got, and we think he’s a strong acquisition for the squad.

“Ultimately, we felt it was an area where competition is important, so when somebody becomes available on loan, with his quality and experience, and he has a desire to come, it’s becomes an exciting opportunity – we’re certain he’s going to add quality to the group.”

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