The Kang Sang-woo Transfer Timeline: What took so long?
Having come through and shone at Pohang Steelers, not to mention a productive spell at Sangju Sangmu, Kang Sang-woo has propelled himself to the Korean National Team and attracted suitors from overseas. Having finally completed his move to Beijing Guoan after prolonged negotiations, guest columnist Zeno Jo gives a timeline of how the transfer unfolded.
Heading into the 2021 season, Pohang manager Kim Gi-dong made a request to the Pohang board that would need to be satisfied for him to remain at the club. He wanted the club to assure him that they would hold onto Kang Sang-woo and Song Min-kyu, the assists leader and the Young Player of the Year of the 2020 K League season, respectively.
The following summer, Song Min-kyu would follow in the footsteps of many star Pohang players before him, and for a while it seemed as though Kang Sang-woo would become the latest name in an ever-growing list. Life after Song would be successful for the Pohang Steelers on the continental stage, as they would reach the finals of the AFC Champions League before falling to Al-Hilal. The 2021 season as a whole saw Kang make strides in the K League and the AFC Champions League throughout the year, with the vice-captain registering seven goals and eight assists in all competitions.
The saga began with there being an assurance that Kang would wear green for the 2022 season, but many believed it would be the green befitting the defending K League champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, but it ended with him sporting the green of Beijing Guoan. The following timeline will aim to provide a clearer and more concise understanding of Kang Sang-woo’s transfer to Beijing Guoan, and answer the question that many fans asked: “What took so long?”
Dec 27 2021: Kang Sang-woo is named to the national team squad for their training camp in Turkey
Kang Sang-woo’s good form in 2021 solidifies him into Paulo Bento’s national team setup, which is further backed up by his inclusion for Bento’s training camp in Turkey, which included friendlies against Iceland and Moldova. Though this was a squad that consisted entirely of players based in South Korea and Japan, Kang had been consistently called up since May 23 and for the World Cup qualifying match against Lebanon on Jan 27.
Kang’s role with the national team can be speculated upon by his listed position and by his jersey number. At times, he has been listed as a midfielder with the number 12, and other times as a defender with the number 15. In this particular set of call-ups, he seems to have been called up as a defender, with the back number 15.
Jan 3 2022: Pohang Steelers depart for their preseason training camp in Jeju
Jan 5 2022: Sports Dong-A reports that Jeonbuk is set to sign Kang Sang-woo
Jan 9 2022: The national team’s training camp in Turkey begins.
Jan 12 2022: Kim Ki-Dong shows support for Kang regardless of decision.
Shin Jin-Ho, who was also present, stated that he shares the same sentiment that the fans do when an important player leaves for the club, but also explains that he understands Kang’s perspective: “As a player, when a good opportunity presents itself, leaving is the right decision, too.”
Jan 13 2022: Negotiations between Kang Sang-woo’s side and Jeonbuk are dragging on.
Jan 15 2022: South Korea beats Iceland 5-1 in a friendly.
This cameo off the bench was just his second cap at the time, and remains as his second as of the publishing of this article.
Jan 18 2022: New captain and vice-captain armbands
Captain Shin Jin-Ho and vice captain Sim Sang-Min |
Heading into the new year, it seemed as though Kang would retain his captaincy. His relationship with Steelers manager Kim Ki-dong was better than ever, and he’s finally broken into the national team setup.
However, likely due to the transfer activity surrounding Kang, 33-year-old Shin Jin-ho was named captain, while Sim Sang-min, who returned from his military service at Sangju (now Gimcheon) Sangmu, was named vice-captain. This can be pointed to as the first point in which the club put distance between themselves and Kang Sang-woo.
Jan 21 2022: South Korea beats Moldova 4-0 in friendly.
Jan 21 2022: Beijing Guoan enters the race.
Jan 24 2022: Terms are agreed with Beijing Guoan.
It’s also reported that the transfer fee is around 1.8 billion Korean Won (approx. $1.5 million), with a salary of 1.3 billion Korean Won ($1.3 million), which is around $25 thousand per week. Both figures are said to be bigger than what was offered by Jeonbuk.
Feb 9 2022: Kang retains the number 10 shirt.
Feb 11 2022: Local rules.
The local rule states that if a buying club offers a salary to a player that is higher than before the transfer, the buying club is able to force a transfer.
Feb 15 2022: Jeonbuk pull out of the race.
Kang Sang-woo has just one year remaining on his contract in Pohang, meaning a transfer must happen now or in the summer transfer window if the club are looking to make money and not lose him on a free transfer next winter.
Feb 19 2022: Pohang Steelers beat Jeju United 3-0 in the K League season opener.
Feb 21 2022: Kang Sang-woo’s transfer to Beijing Guoan is finalized.
Mar 13 2022: South Korea’s 25-man squad is called up, Kang not included.
Mar 21 2022: Kang Sang-woo enters China, begins quarantine.
He says in this interview that his plans after release from quarantine are to take a day off after arriving in Beijing, join up with the team afterwards, and start training with the squad immediately.
Mar 25 2022: The transfer window slams shut in South Korea.
A quick summary of the key transfers in and out are shown below:
Contract Termination: Mario Kvesic (NK Olimpija), Boris Tashchy (Free Agent)
Transfers out: Kim Chan (Busan IPARK), Manuel Palacios (Seongnam FC)
Trade deals: Yun Pyung-guk for Ha Seung-un and Lee Jun (Gwangju FC), Park Gun for Oh Jae-hyeok (Bucheon FC 1995)
Transfers in: Jung Jae-hee (Jeonnam Dragons, Previous trade), Park Chan-yong (Jeonnam Dragons, Unknown), Moses Ogbu (Wuhan Three Towns, Free), Wanderson Carvalho Oliveira (Al-Ittihad Kalba, Free), Kim Seung-dae (Jeonbuk Hyundai, Unknown),
Contract Expiry: Gwon Wan-gyu (Seongnam FC)
Apr 14 2022: Pohang Steelers officially announce the departure of Kang to Beijing Guoan.
Apr 15 2022: Kang Sang-Woo’s transfer to Beijing Guoan is made official.
Conclusion
This article will hopefully serve as a useful timeline to look back on his eventual transfer to Beijing Guoan.
- Zeno Jo
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