Possible Seol Young-woo move to Belgrade stalled in Ulsan

Korea's Seol Young-woo, right, dribbles the ball during a 2023 Asian Cup group stage match against Malaysia at Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar on Jan. 25. [NEWS1]

A possible move to Red Star Belgrade looks increasingly unlikely for Ulsan HD fullback Seol Young-woo, with Ulsan manager Hong Myung-bo reportedly refusing to permit the transfer before the K League kicks off in March.

The 25-year-old defender was linked to the Serbian team last month and has since made it clear that he wants to move to Europe.

“I’ve always had a dream of playing in Europe,” Seol said in a mixed-zone interview at Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar on Feb. 6 after Korea’s 2-0 loss to Jordan in the Asian Cup semifinal. “I was told by the club [Ulsan] that they cannot allow the move.”

According to reports, the block comes from Hong, who is unwilling to lose a key member of his squad less than a month before the new campaign starts.

If Seol did leave, Hong would need to find a replacement before the K League transfer window closes on March 8.

Seol was a key member of Ulsan's 2023 K League winning squad, playing 32 league matches as a regular pick and earning a place in the 2023 K League’s best XI. Filling his vacancy could be a tough task.

Seol has proven a versatile player, slotting in as a fullback or on either wing, and has accurate crosses, dribbling and pace in his arsenal.

He has made 141 appearances for Ulsan since making his professional debut with Ulsan in 2020. They won the AFC Champions League in 2020 and K League 1 twice in 2022 and 2023 — the team’s first-ever title defense.

Seol has made 14 caps with the senior Korean national team. Since being called up for senior duty for the first time in March last year, he has been a regular pick as a winger under national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann.

He played all six Asian Cup games until Korea crashed out of the semifinals with their loss to Jordan.

If Seol does move, he will unite with Korea midfielder Hwang In-beom, who joined Red Star in September last year.

If Seol does stick with Ulsan for the start of the 2024 K League season, he could still join Red Star in the summer transfer window.

Mid-season K League transfers have happened before, with then-Gangwon FC player Yang Hyun-jun leaving the team to join Scottish Premiership side Celtic in July last year.

Whether Seol, who has a military exemption from the Hangzhou Asian Games, will reach an agreement with Ulsan and leave the club early this year remains to be seen.

Ulsan, meanwhile, will continue to prepare for the upcoming 2024 season that kicks off on March 1.

The defending champions will play the opening match against last season’s runners-up Pohang Steelers at home.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]