Where does Hwang Ui-jo go from here?

Hwang Ui-jo in action against Nantes in a Europa League game at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, France on Sept. 8, 2022. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Struggling striker Hwang Ui-jo's loan to Olympiacos ended at midnight on Monday, technically sending him back to Nottingham Forest where he is not actually permitted to play.

Hwang, a Korean national team starter that has slipped from Ligue 1 star to Greek Super League reject in less than a year, has seen things go from bad to worse since he was shipped off to Greece in the summer.

After making a slow start to his career with Olympiacos, where he was on loan from Forest, Hwang was entirely excluded from the squad for the last nine Super League games, and has only played more than 11 minutes in three league matches this season.

In the Europa League he saw more success, appearing in every game this season until Olympiacos was knocked out in November.

Hwang failed to score a single goal in all competitions and has just one assist in a league game on Sept. 3. Considering that he spent the last two seasons as Bordeaux’s top scorer in the French Ligue 1, Hwang’s form has taken an exceptionally steep dive and, at 30, it’s difficult to imagine how many opportunities he is going to get to bounce back.

With the Olympiacos loan now expired, Hwang technically returns to Nottingham, although he cannot play there and they likely would not want him to.

As Hwang has already played for both Bordeaux and Olympiacos this season, he is ineligible to play competitive games for a third team under FIFA rules.

However, if Hwang moves to a team playing in a league that does not follow a concurrent schedule to the Greek or French leagues, he will be able to play. The most obvious candidates for Hwang’s new home are teams in Korea or the United States.

Enter the MLS clubs, which are also presumably Hwang’s preferred option. But despite the interest from the United States being on the table since the very start of the transfer window, Hwang is still stuck in limbo.

Hwang has been linked to Major League Soccer teams Atlanta United and Minnesota United, with Chicago Fire also reportedly tendering an offer over the weekend.

Of the MLS offers on the table, the Chicago Fire deal seems to have progressed the most, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano saying Sunday that an offer has been made and discussions are ongoing. With just a few hours left before the transfer window closes, however, those discussions better wrap-up quickly.

The closure of the European transfer window on Tuesday has no impact on MLS clubs, which have until the end of April to make any deals before their transfer window closes.

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