Eom Ji-sung Swansea transfer hits another snag as Gwangju... ghosts?

Football

Published: 03 Jul. 2024, 14:33

Eom Ji-sung Swansea transfer hits another snag as Gwangju... ghosts?

Eom Ji-sung, left, shoots during a match against China during the U-23 Asian Cup in Doha, Qatar on April 19. [KFA]

There could be another snag in Eom Ji-sung’s transfer to Swansea City as Gwangju FC reportedly failed to finalize the deal by a Wednesday morning deadline, potentially jeopardizing the 22-year-old prospect’s first overseas move.

Gwangju had not officially put the final stamp on the $1.2 million transfer by 8 a.m. on Wednesday, according to Korean outlet Footballist, after which Swansea reportedly warned they would begin considering other players.

It’s the latest chapter in what’s been a start-stop conversation between the two clubs, with Gwangju reportedly refusing to let Eom go and then, days later, greenlighting the move — only to seemingly ghost the Welsh club at the finish line.

An official on Monday told the Korea JoongAng Daily that Gwangju had decided to permit the move, although the deal was still being finalized.

A different Gwangju official on Wednesday afternoon refused to comment, saying he could not disclose any details of the current situation.

It’s unclear why Gwangju, who are facing financial issues and a potential ban on recruiting new players, have refused to let Eom go — even after Swansea increased its offer from $1 million to $1.2 million and Eom has expressed a desire to play overseas.

K League's Gwangju FC facing transfer ban for overstating revenue: Reports

But according to Footballist, Gwangju has said that the potential recruitment ban could make it difficult to find a replacement for Eom in the middle of the 2024 K League 1 season, where Gwangju sit in seventh place on the table as of Wednesday.

If the deal does fall through, it would be the second time Eom has failed to move overseas — and the second time Gwangju was directly involved.

Gwangju FC manager Lee Jung-hyo watches a match against Ulsan HD on May 15 at Gwangju Football Stadium in Gwangju. [YONHAP]

He was linked to a Major League Soccer club earlier in his career but reportedly turned down the move to stay in Gwangju, with the club saying they would permit a move to Europe in the future.

Eom's agent has been quoted in both Korean and British media criticizing the club for blocking the deal and going back on their promise.

Gwangju are only halfway through the 2024 campaign and will have a busier schedule next season due to the 2024-25 AFC Champions League Elite, which they qualified for after finishing in third place in the K League 1 last year.

Eom has seen a relatively slow start to the 2024 campaign with three goals in 15 league fixtures, but had been a core part of the squad since joining the southern club in 2021.

In his debut season, he established himself as a regular pick and appeared in 37 K League 1 matches recording four goals and one assist.

He pulled off another good performance the following season in the K League 2, scoring nine goals across 28 fixtures to lead his side to promotion back to the top tier.

That 2022 season also earned him K League 2 Young Player of the Year honors. The 2023 campaign saw him shifting himself to more of a playmaking role with which he racked up five goals and four assists across 28 games.

Eom’s strength is his speed and finishing, with Gwangju manager Lee Jung-hyo regularly praising both. He has played both on the left wing and in the center this season, scoring one goal from each position.

Eom has made one appearance for the senior Korean squad and he made it count, scoring a goal during his 14-minute debut with the Taeguk Warriors in a 5-1 rout against Iceland in January 2022.

If the move goes ahead, Eom will become the second Korean to play for Swansea after Ki Sung-yueng, who was on the books with the club from 2012 through 2018, which spans from their second season in the Premier League after promotion to their last in the top tier before relegation to the second division.

Swansea have not earned promotion back to the Premier League since facing relegation in 2018.

BY MARY YANG, JIM BULLEY AND PAIK JI-HWAN [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]