Nottingham Forest seem to have forgotten about Hwang Eui-jo.
Fabrizio Romano, who is well versed in the European football transfer market, wrote on social media on Tuesday (June 30), “Nottingham are close to signing Micky Bachuayi. He has been on their list since January and they are finalizing the deal. We still have some details to coordinate with Fenerbahçe.”
Nottingham have a storied history, having won the UEFA Champions League (UCL, then the European Cup) in back-to-back seasons in 1978-79 and 1979-80. However, the club was relegated to the English Football League Championship (EFL Championship) in 1998-99 and then failed to win promotion to the English Premier League (EPL) for many years.
But Nottingham is finally back. In the 2021-22 season, Nottingham finished the regular season in fourth place and returned to the EPL after a promotion playoff. After their thrilling promotion, Nottingham bolstered their roster with the signings of Tywar Warne, Dean Henderson, Moussa Niakate, Niko Williams, Jesse Lingard, and Hwang Eui-jo. It was an aggressive investment for a promotion side.
Last season, Nottingham survived in 16th place in the final standings. This season, they’re back in the race to stay up. Nottingham have made a number of signings this summer, including Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga, and Matt Turner. They’re also expected to add Bachuayi, who is on the verge of signing.
This is bad news for South Korea international striker Hwang Eui-jo. Hwang broke into Europe when he joined Bordeaux. He rose to prominence with back-to-back double-digit goal-scoring campaigns in 2020-21 and 2021-22. He fought to stay with Bordeaux, but was unable to prevent relegation.
After the relegation, Hwang was ready for a fresh start. With Bordeaux in financial trouble, it was important for them to sell him to raise funds. Nantes and Marseille were rumored to be his next destinations, along with big-name clubs like Wolverhampton and West Ham United.
Hwang’s choice was Nottingham. He became part of the Storm’s recruitment process following their promotion. Hwang was set to tour England on loan from Olympiakos.
But it didn’t work out. In February, Hwang ended his loan spell with Olympiakos after being constantly shunned and lacking playing time. Instead, he signed a short-term deal with FC Seoul to return to the K League. It was the best option for Hwang, who had played for Bordeaux and Olympiakos before his move in the 2022-23 season, as he was unable to stay in Europe. 안전놀이터
Under Ahn Ik-soo, Hwang’s faith in him has paid off. His debut goal came in the sixth round against Daegu FC. He then rattled the net against Suwon in Round 8, Incheon United in Round 17, and Pohang Steelers in Round 18, sending the ‘Suho Shin’ (Seoul Supporters) into a frenzy.
In June, Hwang’s loan contract with Seoul expired. The Super Match against Suwon Samsung was a farewell game for Hwang. “I had a tough time at Olympiacos,” he said. During that time, I grew and learned a lot about how to be a good player.