Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United are reportedly interested in a move to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Hwang Hee-chan.
According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Newcastle United are among a number of clubs keeping tabs on Wolves’ versatile attacker Hwang Hee-chan, who could leave Molineux this summer amid the Black Country outfit’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues.
Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui has saved the club from relegation this season, but the Spaniard’s position has been in doubt since he has been seeking assurances over the club’s financial situation and summer budget.
After meetings with the club’s top brass, he stunned the fans by saying he was unaware of the club’s FFP issues that affect spending plans for the summer. Chairman Jeff Shi and Chinese owners Fosun are seeking outside investors for all their businesses, but Wolves need to sell to buy this summer after two expensive transfer windows.
The West Midlands outfit is primed to lose some of their key stars this summer. Ruben Neves is set to leave for £45 million, with Barcelona as the expected destination. Out-of-contract duo Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho will leave for free, while Raul Jimenez, goalkeeper Jose Sa, and Jonny Castro Otto have fallen out of favour and are pushing for moves away.
Another player who could be up for sale is South Korean attacker Hwang Hee-chan, who signed permanently for £14 million from RB Leipzig last summer.
The 27-year-old attacker has endured an underwhelming season in the Black Country, having netted just three top-flight goals from 26 appearances, but it appears he still has admirers within the Premier League. His contract, however, has a little over three years left on it.
Interestingly, The Mirror claims Spurs, Aston Villa, and Newcastle are firm admirers of the South Korean international and are monitoring his situation ahead of the summer transfer window.
Tottenham are set to bolster their attacking options this summer, and Hwang would be a wise addition as a backup for Harry Kane, and can also be partnered with the England international up top at times. But this is where the issue arises.
With his contract expiring in 2024, the 29-year-old could leave the Spurs this summer. If that happens, Hwang should not be the replacement for a goal machine like Kane, and he could definitely not be the only attacking reinforcement, with the futures of on-loan stars Dejan Kulusevski and Arnaut Danjuma also in jeopardy.
As for Aston Villa, boss Unai Emery is keen to add a new forward to his ranks, having guided the Villains from a relegation scrap to being on the cusp of European football, albeit in the third tier, i.e., the Europa Conference League. Tammy Abraham is top of Villa’s list for attacking reinforcements this summer, but Hwang could be a useful low-cost fallback option given his versatility and dribbling attributes.
Newcastle United, meanwhile, are looking to beef up their squad with quality additions as they prepare for Champions League football at St. James Park.
A workhorse off-the-ball, Hwang is a talented striker who is fairly fast, can dribble well, and excels at holding the ball further up the pitch, but his age means the Magpies will likely steer clear of him given they are only looking to recruit young talent.
