FC Seoul, which aims to rebound in the second half of the year, has expanded its defense depth by recruiting proven tall center back Jung Tae-wook (28) ahead of the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) tournament.
"FC Seoul brought Jeonbuk defender Jung Tae-wook on loan for the rest of the year," a transfer market official said on the 22nd. We have reached an agreement between the clubs, and we will make an official announcement after a medical test for a while."
It is a lease that meets the needs of Seoul, which wants to reinforce its defense, and Jung Tae-wook, who wants a chance to play. Seoul is currently playing a solid defense, ranking second (20 goals) in the K League 1 with the combination of Jordanian national team Yazan and South Korean national team Kim Joo-sung as center backs. However, as the center back to support Yazan-Kim Joo-sung is Park Sung-hoon, who lacks experience, and Kim Joo-sung is raising the possibility of moving overseas this summer, reinforcing the center back was considered a necessity, not an option. Veteran Lee Han-do, recruited this year, is expected to return around August due to injury.
Jung Tae-wook, who has an overwhelming physical condition of 1m94, is a type that is not present in the existing Seoul defense, so he is considered a resource to bring diversity to the defense composition. Playing 173 games (five goals and four assists) in the K League 1 alone, and his experience on overseas stages is also expected to greatly contribute to the team's power. Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong has faced Jeong Tae-wook several times since his time as Pohang's head coach and is well aware of his characteristics.
Seoul, which is making a big rebound in the second half of the year, will have to play the K League 1 and ACLE League stages at the same time from September. It was necessary to have some depth to catch two rabbits. This is why he recruited striker Klimala and K-League's best Crack Andersson earlier. Andersson made his Seoul debut against Ulsan on the 20th, contributing to a 1-0 victory. If Seoul confirms Jung Tae-wook's recruitment, it will reinforce at least one offense, midfielder, and defense. Ki Sung-yueng (Pohang), Lee Si-young and Willian (Suwon FC) and Kim Jin-ya (Daejeon) left the team.
Jung Tae-wook, who made his professional debut in Jeju in 2018, played in Daegu, and played in Jeonbuk from 2023, lost his starting position last season and went on a one-year loan to Western Sydney, an Australian A-League team, in August. Jeon Ju-seong, who came back, changed a lot, including coach, tactics, and atmosphere. Jung Tae-wook expressed his willingness to compete with Hong Jung-ho and Kim Young-bin in Jeonbuk, but eventually decided to leave in search of a new nest after consultation with the club.
Jung Tae-wook, a former youth representative, is one of the gold medal members at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. In the final of the 2020 Asian U-23 Championship, he scored the winning goal against Saudi Arabia, driving South Korea to victory. She also competed in the Tokyo Olympics.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
