‘Hyundai is a rival’ Ulsan vs Jeonbuk… From the transfer market, the ‘recruitment war’

Reporter Ahn Gyeong-nam = Professional football K League 1 ‘Hyundai is a rival’ Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai are engaged in a fierce recruitment war from the New Year’s transfer market.

Ulsan, which stopped Jeonbuk’s 6 consecutive K-League 1 defeats last year and reached the top of the league after 17 years, broke silence in the early days of the transfer market and started to reinforce its strength in earnest.

On the 6th, Ulsan extended the contract with veteran midfielder Lee Chung-yong by two years.

After wearing the Ulsan uniform as the club’s best treatment in 2020, Lee Cheong-yong led the club’s second Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League victory and the first K-League championship in 17 years last year.

Lee Chung-yong, who showed off his improved skills even in his mid-30s, was awarded the K-League 1 Most Valuable Player (MVP) last season for the first time in his life.

This year, he is determined to take the lead in the team’s second consecutive league victory in Ulsan’s midfield.

On the 4th, Ulsan brought striker Ju Min-gyu, who was the top scorer, on the 4th. Joo Min-gyu, who moved to Jeju United after playing in Ulsan in 2019, returned after four years.

Joo Min-gyu, who scored 47 goals in 89 appearances in three seasons in Jeju, is considered one of the top goal scorers in the league.

In 2021, with 22 goals, as a Korean player, he became the top scorer in five years after Jeong Jo-guk (Jeju coach) in 2016.

Last year, he tied with Cho Kyu-seong (Jeonbuk) with 17 goals, but unfortunately missed the top scorer for the second consecutive year due to the large number of games played.

Ulsan also added a new option to the attacking line by bringing in Rustavo Rubiksson from Sweden along with Joo Min-gyu.

Rubik’s Hand, which can stand in all areas of attack, is expected to create a synergistic effect with the existing Barco and Boyanich.

While Ulsan created a new game with Lee Cheong-yong at the center, Jeonbuk started rebuilding by bringing in proven players.

The keyword is ‘from Ulsan’. Last year, Ulsan won Japanese midfielder Jun Amano, who won the championship, as a surprise.

Amano, who played for Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan on loan last year in Ulsan, made a big success with 9 goals and 1 assist in 30 regular league games.

However, when Ulsan showed a lukewarm attitude toward extending the lease, Jeonbuk quickly snatched it up. 스포츠토토

As he has already demonstrated his proven skills for one season in Ulsan, it is expected that he will serve as the team’s focal point in Jeonbuk without any adaptation period.

Lee Dong-jun, who played for Ulsan and transferred to German Bundesliga Hertha Berlin early last year, returned to Korea at the end of last month and wore the uniform of Jeonbuk, not his former team Ulsan.

Although he failed in Europe due to injury, he won the 2019 season K League 2 (Part 2) MVP and Best 11, and was selected as the K League 1 Best 11 in the 2021 season, leading to a top striker in the K League.

If he recovers his condition, he is the right person to play a leading role in recapturing the throne of Jeonbuk.

Jeonbuk also brought in midfielder Lee Soo-bin from Pohang Steelers to reinforce the midfield. It is expected to serve as a younger engine along with the existing Baek Seung-ho.

Along with fierce recruitment of players, winter training has also begun.

Both Ulsan and Jeonbuk were convened side by side on the 3rd and started preparing for the new season.

Ulsan will conduct training in Portugal from the 21st of next month to the 11th of next month, and Jeonbuk will conduct battery training in Spain from the 16th to the 15th of next month.

Reporter Ahn Gyeong-nam = Professional football K League 1 ‘Hyundai is a rival’ Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai are engaged in a fierce recruitment war from the New Year’s transfer market. Ulsan, which stopped Jeonbuk’s 6 consecutive K-League 1 defeats last year and reached the top of the league after 17 years, broke silence in…