According to Bild, Schalke 04 dramatically completed the transfer of Hwang Hee-chan just before the summer transfer window closed. The 30-year-old South Korean striker arrived on loan from Wolves, with an optional purchase clause of 3 million euros included in the contract. Schalke uploaded all transfer documents with just 35 seconds remaining before the deadline.

Schalke sporting director Frank Baumann revealed: "When we received confirmation that all documents had been uploaded to the Bundesliga system, there were only 35 seconds left until the transfer window closed."

Schalke had long targeted Hwang Hee-chan for transfer, but in recent weeks the deal seemed unlikely because Wolves were initially only willing to sell the player on a permanent basis.

At noon on transfer deadline day, Schalke, as a newly promoted team, had even considered not completing any further signings. But then the situation changed suddenly. Since Wolves failed to find a permanent buyer for Hwang Hee-chan, the door for a loan agreement reopened. While Hwang Hee-chan discussed his future with his family, the two clubs also began accelerating negotiations.

Around 5 p.m. that day, all parties reached a preliminary agreement, but the subsequent administrative procedures were not smooth, and technical issues, particularly digital signatures, nearly derailed the deal. Baumann said: "At 7:50 p.m., for the first time I thought this deal might genuinely not go through."

In the end, Schalke completed all procedures in the final moments. Baumann also joked about the fax era: "The problem used to be faxes, but now it's all these digital things, like electronic signatures."

After the deal was concluded, Schalke's entire transfer team celebrated the thrilling last-minute signing with beer.

Notably, Hwang Hee-chan underwent his medical examination only on Wednesday, after signing his contract. Baumann admitted that such a procedure carried certain risks, but believed that for a loan agreement lasting approximately 10 months, the risk remained manageable.

He said: "Of course, there is a certain risk, but for a 10-month loan deal, the risk is manageable. If we had to directly invest 3 million euros to complete a permanent transfer, we wouldn't have done it."

Tradotto dall'IA.

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