With all of the excitement surrounding Red Bull Salzburg’s attacking phenom Erling Haaland and Liverpool-bound Takumi Minamino, it seems unfair that Hwang Hee-Chan has fallen somewhat into the background.
The South Korean forward has been in electric form this season with nine goals and seven assists in all competitions for the Austrian side and is yet another example of how Red Bull Salzburg’s scouting system appears to be lightyears ahead of many of its competitors.
Snatched from the clutches of Pohang Steelers, Hwang made his debut in 2016, coming off the bench to score twice in the Europa League against Lille.
Despite this start to his career and a promising 2017-18 season, Hwang was loaned out to Hamburger SV for the 2018/19 season. There, he endured a relatively disappointing campaign with just two goals in 20 appearances for the German side.
Nevertheless, he hit the ground running this season for Salzburg and has been a mainstay in Jesse Marsch’s side from the get-go.
This scout report and tactical analysis examine several of the qualities that make Hwang an exciting prospect—one who has recently been heavily linked with a transfer to Wolves.
Hwang Hee-Chan Style Of Play
Hwang is excellent in the final third with the ball at his feet, and for a forward known for his clinical goalscoring ability, his passing is a seriously underrated part of his game.
In fact, he is arguably the most dangerous player within 20 yards of goal in the Austrian Bundesliga—his 3.68 deep completions per 90 minutes are the highest in the league.
Hwang is dangerous when dropping deep into the half-space to receive, turn, and link with Salzburgs other attacking players and likes to have the ball at his feet facing the goal.
By dropping deep, he is able to receive the ball within 25 yards of the goal and face it, from which point he can attack players with his dribbling or look for a through pass.
He has a wonderful understanding of where his players are and will be at any given time.
Several of his assists this season have come from playing instinctive passes at the right time, knowing a teammate is going to be in a specific area at the time.
Hwang is e
