Hee Chan Hwang has joined Bundesliga side Schalke on loan for the season, in a move which includes an option to turn permanent next summer.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT:

Hee Chan Hwang has joined Bundesliga side Schalke on loan for the season, in a move which includes an option to turn permanent next summer.

The South Korean first arrived in Wolverhampton in 2021 and during his five years at Molineux contributed plenty, playing 119 times and scoring 22 goals, but is yet to feature under head coach Cesar Peixoto this season.

The South Korean enjoyed his best football in a Wolves shirt during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring 13 times, including a memorable winner over Manchester City and two in a big win at Brentford, under the stewardship of Gary O’Neil.

The attacker, who is the club’s third highest scorer in the Premier League, has scored less frequently in recent years and last played for the club on the final game of last season at Burnley, not making a squad under the new head coach.

He now heads to Germany, where he previously played with RB Leipzig, in a bid to get gametime and return to form.

Technical director Matt Jackson said: “It was a really late shout for Hee Chan before the German transfer window closed, but he’s going back to an environment that he's very comfortable in and he's just got to play games. He has real professionalism, conducting himself perfectly, and now deserves this opportunity.

“He's expressed his frustrations, rightly, because the best players want to play all of the time. Hee Chan’s always been open with his dialogue and has been excellent in training this pre-season, knowing that he wasn't going to be involved here, which is difficult for a player, but he accepted it with good grace.

“He’s had a major impact at our club in previous years and has certainly had some memorable times here, and hopefully he can go and recreate them at a really good football club in Schalke.”