[풋볼리스트] Reporter Yoon Hyo-yong = There is a high possibility that Taegeuk Warriors will not go to Europe this winter in the transfer market.
After every World Cup, the European football transfer market heats up. Rookie stars who played an active part in the World Cup are courted by many teams. Cho Kyu-seong (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors), who made his name known by scoring a surprise multi-goal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, was such a case. Cho Kyu-seong has received attention from foreign teams such as Celtic, Mainz, and Minnesota United, and has been talked regarding the most as a player with a high possibility of transferring as a Korean player.
However, the transfer of Cho Kyu-sung is in an atmosphere of collapse. Celtic, who made a specific proposal to Jeonbuk for the recruitment of Cho Kyu-seong, invested the transfer fee in Oh Hyeon-gyu as it became difficult to recruit, and the recruitment was successful. Mainz sent a love call to Cho Kyu-sung directly from the head coach, but failed in the end. In the end, Mainz reinforced its striker by signing Ludovic Azorc (France). Cho Kyu-seong joined Jeonbuk and Spain training camp, and Jeonbuk coach Kim Sang-shik was also convinced to stay.
Several other big league teams also tried to sign Cho Kyu-seong, but the conditions were not right. Udinese was one of the teams that considered signing Cho Kyu-sung. As striker Beto, who scored 7 goals in the first half of Italy’s Serie A, drew attention from AC Milan and others, Udinese actively considered Cho Kyu-seong as a replacement. However, as the possibility of Beto’s retention increased, the recruitment of Cho Kyu-seong was not possible.
Na Sang-ho was also rumored to move to Europe. According to football officials, not only Greece’s Panathinaikos, where rumors of a transfer came out, but also Turkey, the United States, and Denmark, have shown interest. However, there is a high possibility that he will remain in Seoul. In the winter transfer market, it is difficult for foreign teams to actively step forward, and Na Sang-ho has one year left on his contract. Na Sang-ho is not impatient. He is in the position that he will do his best even if he stays as long as he wore the armband as the captain of Seoul last season.
There was a huge gap between the transfer fee offered by European clubs and the transfer fee demanded by the K-League. Teams that might want a Korean player are those in the lower middle of the big leagues or in the minor leagues, but they don’t spend a lot of money in the January transfer market compared to summer. It was even more like this winter because the followingmath of Corona 19 had not gone away.
So far, two Korean players have succeeded in advancing to Europe. Park Ji-soo headed to Portimonense in Portugal, and Oh Hyun-gyu wore a Celtic uniform, a prestigious Scottish team. However, Park Ji-soo was a free agent (FA) player who did not incur a transfer fee, and even cut his salary. In the case of Celtic, which recruited Oh Hyun-gyu, it was able to offer a transfer fee that would satisfy Suwon because of the unusual circumstances, such as Australia’s manager Angie Postecoglu, and a precedent in which Japanese players had already succeeded. There was no ‘World Cup Special’ here. Both players did not play at the World Cup in Qatar. Park Ji-soo was injured in the final evaluation match once morest Iceland, and Oh Hyun-gyu only accompanied him as a reserve member.
In the end, the advance to Europe through the World Cup special this winter was virtually canceled. The European transfer window is only 5 days away. However, like Oh Hyun-gyu, it was confirmed that it is possible to go to Europe even with performances in the league, so it is not too regretful. Looking at past cases, there were not many cases of advancing to Europe as a World Cup special. If they continue to perform well in the K-League, it is possible to go to Europe even following the World Cup impact has faded.
Photo = Football List
