West Ham United can bring Hwang Ui-Jo to the Premier League for just £7 million with crisis-hit Bordeaux looking to sell the South Korean striker, as reported by RMC Sport.
Hwang, last season, was a little ray of sunshine piercing through the black clouds casting the Mahmut Atlantique into darkness.
He scored a more-than respectable 11 goals for a club who, thanks to a combination of terrible mis-management, awful finances and dismal on-pitch performances, have been relegated twice in the space of a matter of weeks.
Bordeaux, champions as recently as 2009, finished bottom of the Ligue 1 table in May. And, in June, they were demoted again, dumped into the third tier as punishment for their perilous financial situation (The Athletic).
Will Hwang Ui-Jo be West Ham’s next striker?
Understandably, Hwang is unlikely to stick around for long. Especially with the Qatar World Cup on the horizon.
According to RMC Sport, Bordeaux will let the late-blooming 29-year-old leave for a cut-price fee of just £6 million. Hwang, who scored a further 12 goals in 2020/21, is entering the final 12 months of his contract.
Calciomercato reported recently that West Ham were gathering information about Heung Min-Son’s international sparring partner. And while RMC do not mention West Ham by name, they do say that Hwang has been approached by ‘an English club’.
Mainz, Nantes, Troyes, Strasbourg, Montpellier and Schalke are also in the race.
An explosive finisher from anywhere in and around the penalty area, Hwang – like compatriot Son – has a real penchant for the spectacular.
“He has the ability to score but he can play anywhere in the offensive line,” then-Bordeaux coach Jean-Louis Gasset said last term. “He’s also very active for a front-line striker. Hwang’s mental ability is also excellent.”
Hwang’s excellent work-ethic, versatility and eye for goal could make him an ideal fit for a West Ham side who, under David Moyes, tend to demand more from their number nines than the odd tap-in.
The Hammers have already signed one Ligue 1 ace this summer in Rennes’ Nayef Aguerd.
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