'Little' Jeong Woo-yeong joins VfB Stuttgart

Jeong Woo-yeong poses in a VfB Stuttgart shirt in a promotional image shared on the club's social media channels on Tuesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korean midfielder Jeong Woo-yeong has joined Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart on a three-year deal, the club announced Tuesday.

A product of the Bayern Munich academy, 23-year-old Jeong has played his entire career in Germany, joining Stuttgart from SC Freiburg, where he has played since 2019.

Although the move from Freiburg to Stuttgart comes with a drop from one end of the Bundesliga table to the other, the change could open up new opportunities for Jeong, who has been relatively underutilized over the last few years.

With 84 appearances and 10 goals in four seasons, Jeong spent most of his time at Freiburg on the bench, appearing often as a second-half substitute to provide some new legs in the midfield. He plays a similar role for the Korean national team, where he has 11 caps and two goals to his name, but has lacked the opportunity at Freiburg to develop into a full-match player.

Despite his shorter appearances, Jeong has significant experience playing top-tier football for somebody his age. He has played in 85 Bundesliga matches, five Europa League games — where he has racked up both a goal and an assist — and even a Champions League appearance with Bayern.

“VfB have a good team and I believe this transfer is the right step for me,” Jeong was quoted as saying in a quote shared by the club. “I’ve already played in Stuttgart a few times so I know how good the atmosphere is in the stadium. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to come here and now I’m really pleased to be here and to play for VfB.”

Stuttgart Sporting Director Fabian Wohlgemuth praised Jeong in a statement, crediting both his playing style and his Bundesliga experience with the decision to bring him to the club.

“His abilities will lend greater variety to our attacking play, while his ambitious nature and team-first attitude make him a great addition for us,” Wohlgemuth said. “And last but not least, despite his relatively young age he already has considerable Bundesliga experience.”

Affectionately known as “little" Jeong Woo-yeong by Korean fans in contrast with “big" Jung Woo-young — a 33-year-old veteran midfielder that shares the same Korean name — Jeong is one of two Korean players regularly active in the Bundesliga, alongside Mainz’s Lee Jae-sung. That number could be set to increase in the next few days with Napoli center-back Kim Min-jae expected to sign with Bayern Munich.

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