Wolverhampton relegated, casting shadow over South Korean contingent in Premier League
Hwang Hee-chan faces uncertain future after Wolves drop to Championship; Korean representation in top flight set to vanish next season
L'essentiel
- Wolverhampton Wanderers have been relegated from the Premier League after West Ham United's draw with Crystal Palace left Wolves 16 points adrift with five matches remaining.
- South Korean international Hwang Hee-chan, who scored just two goals in 21 league matches this season, faces an uncertain future with his contract running through 2028.
- The relegation may eliminate all South Korean players from the Premier League next season, as other Korean players remain on loan or have not established themselves in the top flight.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Wolverhampton Wanderers were last relegated from the Premier League after the 2017-2018 season. Hwang Hee-chan was one of several South Korean players in the Premier League, representing the continued growth of Korean footballers in English football.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have been relegated from the Premier League to the second division in English football, with their South Korean international Hwang Hee-chan now facing a murky future. Wolverhampton's fate was sealed following a goalless draw between Crystal Palace and West Ham United at Selhurst Park Stadium in London on Monday (local time). West Ham United, in 17th place, improved to 33 points, leaving Wolverhampton 16 points back with five matches remaining. Wolves will not be able to escape the relegation zone for the bottom three clubs even if they win out. They will go back down to the second-flight English Football League (EFL) Championship for the first time since the 2017-2018 campaign. Slowed by injuries and subsequent poor form, Hwang has only scored twice in 21 league matches, the same total as last season. Hwang joined Wolves in the 2021-2022 season on a loan from the German side RB Leipzig and then joined the English club on a full deal the following campaign. Hwang netted a career-high 12 goals in the 2023-2024 Premier League season but has not been able to recapture that form. Hwang's initial deal with Wolves ran through 2026, but the club gave him an extension in December 2023 that will take him through June 2028. With the team's relegation, however, Hwang is among the highly paid players expected to be on the move this summer. Wolverhampton's relegation also means there may not be any South Korean player in the Premier League next season. Yang Min-hyeok signed with Tottenham Hotspur two years ago but has had loan spells with EFL Championship teams, most recently Coventry City. Coventry have earned promotion to the Premier League, but Yang has not yet established himself with them, with only three league matches under his belt. Yoon Do-young is on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion to the Dutch club FC Dordrecht, and Brentford defender Kim Ji-soo is playing for the second-tier Dutch side 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Park Seung-soo is with Newcastle United's under-21 squad.
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
Hwang Hee-chan will likely leave Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer
Probable · En quelques mois
No South Korean players will feature in the Premier League next season if Yang Min-hyeok does not establish himself with Coventry
Possible · En quelques mois
Questions ouvertes
- Will Hwang Hee-chan remain at Wolves in the Championship?
- Will Wolves attempt to sell Hwang to reduce wage bill?
- Will any South Korean player feature in the Premier League next season?
