The trend of promising South Korean soccer players heading directly to the Premier League is becoming popular. The latest prospect is Yun Do-young (19, Daejeon).
The Athletic reported on the 16th that "Premier League club Brighton is close to a four-year deal with South Korean prospect Yun Do-young. Brighton has finalized an agreement with Daejeon regarding the buyout. If Yun Do-young passes the medical test on the 17th, he will sign a four-year contract."
In fact, Yun Do-young was confirmed to have boarded a flight to the UK with his agent on the 16th. It is a massive deal for a K League teenager to sign a four-year contract with a Premier League team.
Yun Do-young has played 22 matches in K League 1, recording 1 goal and 3 assists. Even if he signs with Brighton, Yun Do-young is likely to follow in the footsteps of Yang Min-hyuk.
First, Yun Do-young will finish the 2025 season with Daejeon. He has no experience on the adult national team and will be loaned to a lower league than the Premier League to adapt to the European stage and go through the process of obtaining a work permit.
The Athletic stated, "Yun Do-young will follow a similar path to Kaoru Mitoma. Mitoma was loaned to the Belgian first division, gained experience for a season, and accumulated points for his work permit. Currently, Mitoma has grown into a star who received a transfer offer of £61 million (approximately 114.8 billion won) from the Saudi league."
Yun Do-young drew global attention by scoring 1 goal and 1 assist at the U20 Asian Cup. It is a welcome development for a South Korean prospect to make it to the world's top league.
However, like the case of Yang Min-hyuk, it is essential for Yun Do-young to adapt to European culture and gain experience in a lower-level league.
[OSEN]