by Matt Cooper & Dave Azzopardi
Wolves completed the signing of promising South Korean forward Jeong Sang-bin earlier in the week from K-League outfit Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The 19-year-old is highly thought of and will join affiliate club Grasshopper Club Zurich on an 18-month-loan.
We caught up with South Korean football journalist Sungmo Lee as he gave us the low down on Wolves’ new signing.
1. Wolves have signed Jeong Sang-bin. What sort of player is he? What is his play style?
He has a nickname of ‘Korean Mbappe’, pretty much explains his playstyle. He’s fast, skilful, and also most importantly, very clever. For example, he scored his K-league debut goal, by shooting between the defender’s two legs in front of him. He scored on his K-League debut andalso scored on his international team debut.
2. What would you say his strongest positions are?
He’s a winger, but also can play as second-top striker. He’s very versatile and still very young, so I believe he could be developed to play any position across the front free. I would say Bruno Lage is keen on using wide forwards and he always says in press conference that he wants to have at least four wingers at his club. It really does feel like the ideal move for Jeong Sang-bin.
3. Do you think he will suit the English Premier League or is a move to the Swiss league a good move for him right now?
I believe he will definitely have a big future in England, but it’s a wise decision for Wolves and Jung as well, to let him have more experience in Europe before he eventually plays for Wolves.
Wolves fans have already seen two Korean wingers in Seol Ki Hyun and Hwang Hee Chan so he is in esteemed company!
4. What is his reputation like in South Korea?
He was the best young player in K-league last season, and he’s regarded as ‘next big talent’ from South Korea. Korean fans are very excited to see his development at Wolves.
5. Sang-Bin is now the second South Korean that Wolves have signed this season. What has the coverage of Wolves been like over there this season?
There’s growing interest from South Korean fans for Wolves. South Korean fans have watched Hwang eagerly this season and were really concerned to find out he was injured. With Hwang’s permanent move, and Jung’s transfer, Wolves’ games will be watched more and more by Korean fans as time goes by.
Despite fans being frustrated that it’s not a signing for the here and now, it seems like a shrewd piece of business by Wolves to acquire such a highly thought of talent with a lot of potential. It will be interesting to see how he develops in Switzerland.