Transfer still a no-go for stranded Hwang Ui-jo

Bordeaux forward Hwang Ui-jo comes on as a substitute in the 72nd minute of a game against Valenciennes at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, France on July 30. [BORDEAUX]

Hwang Ui-jo was not included in the squad as Bordeaux struggled to a 0-0 draw against Grenoble Foot 38 on Monday as he continues to wait on the sidelines for a chance to transfer out of the foundering Ligue 2 club.

Hwang's absence on Monday comes as the Korean striker has been missing for most of August. Last week, Hwang made a token appearance in the 88th minute of a game against Niort.

Hwang has been looking for a way out of Bordeaux since the club was demoted and went into financial administration within the space of a couple of months. The club's financial woes complicated a possible move, making Bordeaux desperate to sell and encouraging other clubs to try and lowball an offer.

But while there are rumors that plenty of offers have been made, a combination of Hwang's personal goals and Bordeaux's efforts to receive at least a vaguely fair price have seen deal after rumored deal collapse.

Bordeaux are rushing to sell Hwang after creditors accepted a restructuring plan that included the sale of assets, including some players. With Bordeaux very publicly on the ropes, clubs are likely to continue to submit lowball bids to see if they can get lucky.

A few weeks ago, Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly tried to push a deal worth just 2 million euros ($1.5 million) with an additional 1 million euros if Wolves makes it to the UEFA Champions League. The audacious offer clearly undercut the market for a player who just last year was the top scorer for a French top-tier club, and unsurprisingly Bordeaux said no.

Premier League club Nottingham Forest were then rumored to have come through with a deal valued at 4 million euros ($4 million) with an additional 1 million euros in add-ons, but the club was said to be looking to immediately loan Hwang out to Greek club Olympiacos, which doesn't fulfil his goal of signing with a Premier League club. That deal has also gone quiet in the last week.

French club Nantes and U.S. club Minnesota United were also both rumored to have made offers over the summer, but whether because they undercut Bordeaux's target price or because Hwang didn't fancy the move, both deals quickly disappeared.

Hwang has long been a transfer rumor favorite and is often suggested as an easy way for Bordeaux to make some much needed money.

In the summer of 2021, Hwang, who had been Bordeaux's top scorer in the 2020-21 season with 12 goals, was linked to clubs across Europe, with a last-minute deal with either an unnamed wealthy Russian club or Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon apparently falling through in the dying hours of the transfer window.

In January, Hwang was again expected to make a move, although a flurry of goals — including a hat trick against Strasbourg on January 23 — effectively closed that window.

Hwang now has just over a week left before the summer transfer window slams shut on Sept. 1. If he can't find a new club by then, Hwang, one of the Korean national team's top strikers, will be forced to play his World Cup warmup months in a second-division club.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]