Jung Woo-young (23) left Freiburg and settled in Stuttgart.
Stuttgart announced on its official website on the 11th (Korean time), “The club has strengthened the squad for the upcoming season by recruiting Jung Woo-young.” Jung Woo-young, who signed a three-year contract, will play an active role in Stuttgart until 2026.안전놀이터
The club’s expectations are high. Jung Woo-young was given the uniform number ’10’, which symbolizes an ace. “Jung Woo-young’s skills will add variety to our offense,” said Fabian Bulgemut Stuttgart Sports Director. “Jung Woo-young is ambitious and has a team-oriented attitude. It will be an asset to our team. Above all, he has a lot of Bundesliga experience even at a young age.”
According to German media Bild, Stuttgart paid a transfer fee of 3 million euros (4.3 billion won) to have Jung Woo-young. It is known that Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoehnes, who coached Jung Woo-young in Bayern Munich’s second team, wanted to recruit him.
Jung Woo-young, who will wear the Stuttgart uniform, said, “Stuttgart is a good team and I think this transfer is the right decision for me.” So I wanted to transfer here, and now I am very happy to come here and play.”
Jung Woo-young, who joined his team Freiburg before the 2020-21 season, gradually increased his position. In his first season, mainly as a substitute, he played 819 minutes in the German Bundesliga. He made a leap forward as the main player in the 2021-22 season. He played a central role in the attack with his strengths such as active activity and linked play. At that time, the season’s playing time (1795 minutes) increased significantly, and he scored 5 goals and 2 assists in 32 league games.
However, he struggled throughout last season. He made a total of 26 league appearances, 22 of which came as a substitute. He played the least amount of time (641 minutes) in the Freiburg uniform. Although his contract period remains, this is the biggest reason he chose to transfer to Stuttgart.
With this transfer, Jung Woo-young became the ‘junior’ of the national football team coach Jurgen Klinsmann. Coach Klinsmann has been on the pitch in the Stuttgart uniform for five seasons since 1984. Coach Klinsman also contributed to the runner-up in the UEFA Cup, the predecessor of the UEFA Europa League, in the 1988-89 season.
Stuttgart finished the 2022-23 season league in 16th place, putting it on the verge of relegation to the second division. However, in the promotion playoffs, they beat Hamburg, the third-placed team in the second division, and managed to survive in the first division. It is a will to rebound in the new season through reinforcement during the transfer market this summer.
This transfer is also expected to be important for Jung Woo-young’s overall career and his position on the national soccer team. Jung Woo-young was consistently called up to the national team with many outstanding second-tier resources, but he was not fully established. After consistently playing for his team, improving his performance will be his priority.