Scottish Premiership giants Rangers are looking to sign a ‘midfielder with many gifts’ as South Korea international Hwang In-Boem shines at Olympiakos.
If Nicolas Raskin is the man upon which Rangers’ midfield rebuild will be constructed, then Hwang may be like the Bonnie to his Clyde-side Clyde.
Raskin is all energy and industry. A buzzing ball of belligerence. Hwang, meanwhile, is a more cultured, considered, cerebral talent. Old Firm rivals Celtic have dominated the domestic scene with a perfectly-balanced blend of tenacity and technique in the centre of the park. A partnership of Raskin and Hwang, meanwhile, is one that could realistically go head-to-head with Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate and be confident of emerging victorious.
Of course, that will depend on whether Rangers can secure the services of a Daejeon-born 26-year-old who also has admirers in the German Bundesliga. According to Greek reporter Georgios Sieridiss, the Glasgow giants sent scouts to watch Hwang in action during February’s Athens derby between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos.
Arguably the finest midfielder in the whole of the Greek Super League, Hwang has continued to perform with his typical poise and composure even as speculation over his future rages.
Rangers like South Korea and Olympiakos ace Hwang In-beom
“In-Beom is a player who stands out,” says Andi Herzog, who works as an assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann for the South Korean national team.
“He has very good skills in keeping the ball but also distributing it, making a play. He has a wide range of skills and moves on the field. Creative with his passes, a very good sense of how he makes his transitions. Quick thinking and judgement, but also technique.
“He is a midfielder with many gifts,” Herzog adds, via BN Sports. “A central midfielder that we and every team should have. He even has skills that can fool the opposition with feints on the ball. He is a player for the future – the midfielder of the future – and for whom the expectations will be much higher going forward.”
Some praise. But Hwang is some player.
With five goals and four assists to his name, the 26-year-old is adding a more attacking output to his pinpoint passing and vice-like control this season. Ryan Jack, Steven Davis and Scott Arfield will all need replacing this summer. But with Raskin in and Hwang under consideration too, Rangers have made a promising start to a long-awaited restructuring.
