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Hwang Hee-chan faces murky future with Wolverhampton's relegation

Published: 21 Apr. 2026, 11:08

Korea's Hwang Hee-chan, front, and Ivory Coast's Guela Doue vie for the ball during the international friendly soccer match between Korea and Ivory Coast in Milton Keynes in England on March 28. [AP PHOTO/YONHAP]

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been relegated from the Premier League to the second division in English football, with their Korean international Hwang Hee-chan now facing a murky future.

Wolverhampton's fate was sealed following a goalless draw between Crystal Palace and West Ham United at Selhurst Park Stadium in London on Monday.

West Ham United, in 17th place, improved to 33 points, leaving Wolverhampton 16 points back with five matches remaining. Wolves will not be able to escape the relegation zone for the bottom three clubs even if they win out.

They will go back down to the second-flight English Football League (EFL) Championship for the first time since the 2017-2018 campaign.

Slowed by injuries and subsequent poor form, Hwang has only scored twice in 21 league matches, the same total as last season.

Hwang joined Wolves in the 2021-2022 season on a loan from the German side RB Leipzig and then joined the English club on a full deal the following campaign. Hwang netted a career-high 12 goals in the 2023-2024 Premier League season but has not been able to recapture that form.

Hwang's initial deal with Wolves ran through 2026, but the club gave him an extension in December 2023 that will take him through June 2028.

With the team's relegation, however, Hwang is among the highly paid players expected to be on the move this summer.

Wolverhampton's relegation also means there may not be any Korean players in the Premier League next season.

Yang Min-hyeok signed with Tottenham Hotspur two years ago but has had loan spells with EFL Championship teams, most recently Coventry City. Coventry have earned promotion to the Premier League, but Yang has not yet established himself with them, with only three league matches under his belt.

Yoon Do-young is on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion to the Dutch club FC Dordrecht, and Brentford defender Kim Ji-soo is playing for the second-tier Dutch side 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Park Seung-soo is with Newcastle United's under-21 squad.

Yonhap