Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed on their official website that they have completed the capture of Hee-chan Hwang on loan from Red Bull Leipzig. It is understood that the West Midlands side also has the option to sign the South Korean striker permanently next summer.
Hwang’s Bit-Part Role At The Red Bull Arena Last Season
Hwang served as a decent squad player for Leipzig last season but struggled to be consistent with his productivity in the final third. The 25-year-old caught the eye for his contributions for the German outfit in the DFB-Pokal after he banged in three goals and grabbed two assists in five matches for them in that competition.
However, most of Hwang’s appearances in the Bundesliga came off the bench which explains why he averaged 0.6 shots, 0.2 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per game in league football last season. He was also guilty of being sloppy when distributing the ball in the opposition half based on his pass completion rate of 65.8% in the German top tier (stats via whoscored).
The South Korea international can do a good job for his side when he gets regular game time on the pitch. However, that was certainly not happening for the player at Leipzig, so it is no surprise that he has decided to seal a move to Wolves in search of more game time at the highest level.
What Will Hwang Add To Bruno Lage’s Team?
Hwang is blessed with electric pace and can often turn on the afterburners to beat his marker off the dribble in the final third. He has also got a great leap in him that allows him to score a few goals with his head.
The 37-time South Korea international is a decent finisher in front of the opposition goal and can make some well-timed runs up top as well. However, he needs to be more consistent with his offensive contributions if he wants to establish himself as a top performer at the Molineux Stadium.
We can expect Hwang to add plenty of pace and a handful of goals to Bruno Lage’s team. He is undeniably good enough to compete with Raul Jimenez, who has struggled to hit top gear since returning from his long injury layoff, for a regular starting place at the West Midlands club this season.
Lage deserves credit for getting Hwang on board on loan with an option to buy as it would give Wolves some safety net just in case things don’t work out well for the talented forward in English football over the next ten months.
