TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Transfer
The Vancouver Whitecaps have transferred midfielder Inbeom Hwang to Russian Premier League club FC Rubin Kazan, the club announced Friday. The 'Caps will retain a percentage of any future transfer fees.
Transfermarkt's Manuel Veth reported the fee to be €2.5 million while MLSsoccer.com's Tom Bogert reported the fee was $3 million (€2.534 million) with a 25% sell-on fee.
“Inbeom came to us and expressed his wish to continue with his goal of playing in Europe,” Whitecaps CEO and sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement. “We worked closely with Inbeom and his representatives to find a solution that would benefit our club. All parties have agreed that this is the best path and we wish Inbeom every success as he takes the next step to pursue his dream. We will continue to follow the markets and are in a position to be able to act if we see the right opportunity and right profile that would improve the quality of our group.”
The 23-year-old South Korean arrived in Vancouver from his hometown club Daejeon Citizen FC in Jan. 2019 and had three goals and six assists in 39 regular season appearances, serving as a regular fixture in the Whitecaps midfield. He also has 23 career senior caps for South Korea, scoring three international goals.
“I am very grateful to everyone at the club for their support and professionalism both on and off the pitch," added Hwang. "I am disappointed that I am leaving this team without getting the results we wanted. I have grown as a person and player during my time in Vancouver and have made lifelong friends. I have always been very open about my dream to play in Europe and when this opportunity presented itself, I shared my desire to take on this new challenge. To the fans, thank you for your support. I will represent the Whitecaps with honour in Europe and I look forward to watching the club continue to grow and achieve tremendous success."
