Hwang Hee-chan loaned to German club Schalke

South Korean forward Hwang Hee-chan has joined Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04 on a season-long loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Eighteen Yard desk 2 Sep 2026 Source: Yonhap News Agency

South Korea international Hwang Hee-chan is on his way back to Germany after five seasons in England. FC Schalke 04 of the Bundesliga announced on their website Tuesday (Germany local time) that they signed Hwang on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were relegated from the Premier League to the second-tier English Football League (EFL) Championship for this season. Hwang will be with the German club through June 30 next year. Per German media reports, Schalke will be able to sign Hwang to a permanent deal on a transfer fee of 3 million euros (US$3.5 million).

Career Shift After Relegation

Hwang, 30, previously played in Germany from 2018 to 2022 -- first with the second-tier club Hamburger SV and then with RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. He then spent five seasons with Wolves and enjoyed his best campaign in 2023-2024, when he netted his Premier League-high 12 goals in 29 matches. Hwang, however, was held to two goals in each of the next two seasons. Wolves were then relegated to the EFL Championship after finishing dead last among the 20 Premier League clubs with 20 points. Schalke had been in the 2. Bundesliga, the second division in Germany, for the past four seasons before earning promotion to the top competition by winning the 2. Bundesliga title last season.

Club and Player Statements

Youri Mulder, director of professional football at FC Schalke 04, said the club had bolstered its attacking options with Hwang and that they had set a target of looking for sensible additions to the squad at the end of the transfer window. Hwang said he was impressed with Schalke's style of play last season and believed he would be a good fit for the team, recalling that he had played at their stadium in 2021 for Leipzig without fans present due to the COVID-19 pandemic.