Wolverhampton's Hwang Hee-chan dribbles down the field. (EPA-Yonhap)
Wolverhampton's Hwang Hee-chan dribbles down the field. (EPA-Yonhap)

South Korea international Hwang Hee-chan is returning to Germany after five seasons in England.

Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04 announced on its website Tuesday that it had signed Hwang on loan from the Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were relegated from the Premier League to the second-tier English Football League Championship this season. Hwang will remain with the German club through June 30.

According to German media reports, Schalke will have the option to sign Hwang permanently for a transfer fee of 3 million euros ($3.5 million).

Hwang, 30, previously played in Germany from 2018 to 2022, first with second-division club Hamburger SV and then with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

He then spent five seasons with Wolverhampton and enjoyed his best campaign in 2023-24, scoring a career-high 12 Premier League goals in 29 matches.

Hwang was limited to two goals in each of the following two seasons. Wolverhampton was relegated to the EFL Championship after finishing last among the Premier League's 20 clubs with 20 points.

Schalke spent the previous four seasons in the 2. Bundesliga, Germany's second division, before earning the promotion to the top flight by winning the league title last season.

"In Hwang Hee-chan, we have bolstered our attacking options. He can play in multiple positions, and we see his many years of experience in a variety of leagues and on the international stage as a big plus," Schalke professional soccer director Youri Mulder said. "At the end of the transfer window, we set ourselves the target of looking for sensible additions to the current squad. We are glad that Hee-chan has decided to join Schalke 04 and return to the Bundesliga."

Hwang said he was impressed by Schalke's style of play last season.

"I have been studying their style of play closely and think that I would be a good fit for the team," he said. "In 2021, I played at the stadium for Leipzig, but unfortunately, there were no fans allowed in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I can hardly wait to experience the atmosphere in front of a sold-out crowd as a Schalke player." (Yonhap)