South Korea national team forward Hwang Hee-chan was left out of Wolverhampton Wanderers' squad for the club's Championship season opener. Reports have emerged that he has already been excluded from first-team training and told by the club he is free to leave, fueling transfer speculation.
Hwang was not named in the matchday squad for Wolverhampton's 2026-27 Championship Round 1 home match against Blackburn Rovers at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on Saturday (Korean Standard Time).
Wolverhampton finished bottom of the 20-club English Premier League last season and were relegated. The club dismissed manager Rob Edwards in June and are now led by Portuguese coach Cesar Peixoto.
Hwang, under contract through 2028, had been in an uncertain position at the club since relegation. He was left out of both the League Cup (Carabao Cup) Round 1 match against Port Vale (fourth division) on Aug. 7 and the first league match, making a departure appear increasingly likely.
British outlet Football Insider reported that Wolverhampton put Hwang on the transfer market following relegation, and that Hwang himself is open to a move after a difficult few seasons at the club.
Peixoto had already told local media that Hwang was training with the under-21 side.
Hwang joined Wolverhampton from RB Leipzig in 2021 and led the club's attack for five seasons. He was particularly impressive in the 2023-24 season under manager Gary O'Neil, scoring 12 Premier League goals, but could not sustain that form due to injuries and other setbacks.
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