Trends Behind the Latest Moves in the K League Summer Transfer Market

1. Jeon Jin-woo

Jeon Jin-woo is the player who is receiving the most worldwide attention in the transfer market this summer.

With about two weeks left in the transfer window, Jeon Jin-woo is known to have received specific offers from six European teams, with the highest transfer fee of KRW 2 billion, and the most attractive offer for the player is West Bromwich Albion, with about KRW 1.6 billion in transfer fees and an annual salary of KRW 2 billion. 

The player wants to move to Europe, but his team, Jeonbuk Hyundai, continues to compete for the championship by 10 points from second place with 17 games remaining this season, and Jeon Jin-woo, who scored the most goals (12 goals) in the league, is at the center of Jeonbuk's competition for the championship. For Jeonbuk, it is also in an awkward situation because it is difficult to find a player to replace Jeon Jin-woo with two weeks left in the transfer market.

2. Ki Sung-yueng

The transfer was made in the most sensitive time. 

Ki Sung-yueng, one of the most outstanding midfielders in Korean soccer history who played in several European big leagues such as Newcastle, Sunderland, and Celtic, has left his hometown team of Seoul to move to Pohang. 

Seoul fans were enraged by the move because Ki had always wanted to retire from Seoul, and he was Seoul fans' favorite player. However, Seoul’s coach Kim Ki-dong continued to stick to his tough stance that he had no plans to hire Ki, which led to Ki's decision to move to Pohang, although he also considered retiring.

The appointment and transfer of players is the absolute power of the club and the manager, but the reason fans are still angry is that Seoul, along with Jeonbuk, Ulsan, and Daejeon, is one of the top-spending teams in the K-League this year, while its current performance is seventh among the 12 teams, and it was forced to be angry about the transfer of Ki Sung-yueng, who only played in Seoul within the K-League, to Pohang, a direct competitor. 

3. Marcao

The "he" that any K-League fan knows is back.

Marcao spent two years at Gyeongnam FC from 2017 to 2018. Nevertheless, the reason he is called the king among fans is that in 2017, his first season on the transfer, he promoted his team along with the league MVP, the top scorer, and the best 11, showing an incredible record of 22 goals and three assists in 32 games. His myth didn't stop there. In 2018, his first season on promotion, he showed incredible performances once again. He achieved 26 goals and five assists in 2018, showing that Korea was too narrow a place to contain himself, as he was named the league MVP, the top scorer, and the best 11. 

Now, he is returning to Korea after seven years. His return is Ulsan HD FC. 

Some have doubts about Marcao’s form, citing seven years, but we are looking forward to seeing what he will show.