Hwang Hee-chan returns to Bundesliga with Schalke 04 on loan from Wolves

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea international Hwang Hee-chan is on his way back to Germany after five seasons in England.

FC Schalke 04 of the Bundesliga announced on their website Tuesday (Germany local time) that they signed Hwang on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were relegated from the Premier League to the second-tier English Football League (EFL) Championship for this season. Hwang will be with the German club through June 30 next year.

Per German media reports, Schalke will be able to sign Hwang to a permanent deal on a transfer fee of 3 million euros (US$3.5 million).

Hwang, 30, previously played in Germany from 2018 to 2022 -- first with the second-tier club Hamburger SV and then with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

He then spent five seasons with Wolves and enjoyed his best campaign in 2023-2024, when he netted his Premier League-high 12 goals in 29 matches.

Hwang, however, was held to two goals in each of the next two seasons. Wolves were then relegated to the EFL Championship after finishing dead last among the 20 Premier League clubs with 20 points.

Schalke had been in the 2. Bundesliga, the second division in Germany, for the past four seasons before earning promotion to the top competition by winning the 2. Bundesliga title last season.

"In Hwang Hee-chan, we have bolstered our attacking options. He can play in multiple positions, and we see his many years of experience in a variety of leagues and on the international stage as a big plus," said Youri Mulder, director of professional football at FC Schalke 04. "At the end of the transfer window, we set ourselves the target of looking for sensible additions to the current squad. We are glad that Hee-chan has decided to join Schalke 04 and return to the Bundesliga."

Hwang said he was impressed with how Schalke 04 played last season.

"I have been studying their style of play closely and think that I would be a good fit for the team," he said. "In 2021, I played at the stadium for Leipzig, but unfortunately, there were no fans allowed in (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). I can hardly wait to experience the atmosphere in front of a sold-out crowd as a Schalke player."