With Hwang Hee-chan (30)'s club Wolverhampton Wanderers' relegation confirmed early, attention naturally turns to the trajectory of Oh Hyun-kyu (25, Beşiktaş), who has been bombing the Turkish stage. In particular, Tottenham Hotspur, led by captain Son Heung-min (34, LAFC), has shown concrete moves to sign Oh Hyun-kyu, raising expectations for the birth of a new Korean Reinsurance Company
Wolverhampton became unable to surpass the survival threshold even if it won all five remaining matches after 17th-place West Ham United drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace on the 21st (Korean time). Wolverhampton, currently with 17 points (3 wins, 8 draws, 22 losses) and bottom of the table, will thus be relegated to the second-tier Championship for the first time in nine seasons since 2017-2018.
The problem is that Wolverhampton is the only club this season in the Premier League that has a Korean player. There are prospects such as Yang Min-hyuk, Park Seung-su and Yoon Do-young who are based in England, but there are realistic constraints to them immediately playing as first-team regulars next season.
Unless Hwang Hee-chan transfers to another first-division club or a new player is unexpectedly promoted, the line of 'Premier League Korean Reinsurance Company' will be temporarily broken.
The most likely card to overcome this crisis is undoubtedly Oh Hyun-kyu. Since moving to Beşiktaş he has 7 goals and 1 assist in 11 matches, and with 17 goals and 4 assists for the full season including the first half he is posting a career high, drawing the attention of Premier League big clubs such as Manchester United and Tottenham.
Tottenham's moves in particular are noteworthy. Beyond mere interest, they are ready to begin negotiations immediately if conditions are met. Oh Hyun-kyu, who combines high work rate, forward pressing and finishing ability inside the penalty area, is evaluated as a puzzle piece that Tottenham's attack currently must have.
Tottenham's strongest persuasion card is Son Heung-min. Son's presence, having already shown excellent chemistry with him on the national team, is a decisive variable that could firm Oh Hyun-kyu's decision. At the club level, if they enter a full-scale recruitment battle, it is highly likely they will give Son some role in persuading Oh Hyun-kyu.
Of course, the mountain to overcome for the transfer to go through is high. Beşiktaş has no intention of easily letting go of Oh Hyun-kyu, who quickly established himself as a key asset. His contract runs through June 2029, and the club expects the player's value to surge further around the upcoming 2026 CONCACAF World Cup.
According to local media, Beşiktaş's minimum transfer fee is set at 40 million euros (about 69.3 billion won). That amount far exceeds the fee Beşiktaş originally paid (14 million euros) and ranks as the second-largest transfer fee for a Korean player after Kim Min-jae's move to Bayern Munich (50 million euros). It also surpasses the 30 million euros Son Heung-min commanded when he moved from Leverkusen to Tottenham.
Ultimately, the upcoming summer transfer window is expected to be a stage where Tottenham's bold decision and Beşiktaş's tug-of-war face off. In the crisis facing Korean footballers caused by Hwang Hee-chan's relegation, Korean football fans are focused on whether Oh Hyun-kyu can enter the Premier League and showcase himself on the world's top stage.
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