Hong Hyun-seok confirms Trabzonspor move against will of some fans, agent

“I am moving there because I want to. My agent told me not to go," the Korean footballer said in an Instagram story Saturday.

KAA Gent midfielder Hong Hyun-seok, right, vies for the ball with Antwerp's Jacob Ondrejka during a Belgian Pro League match in Gent, Belgium on Feb. 26. [AFP/YONHAP]

KAA Gent midfielder Hong Hyun-seok confirmed Saturday on Instagram that reports about his move to Turkish team Trabzonspor are true.

Hong shared an Instagram story saying the following: “I am moving there because I want to. My agent told me not to go.”

The story came after some Korean fans on Instagram reportedly expressed their disappointment over his move to a non-major European league following reports from Turkish and Korean media suggesting that he looks set to join Trabzonspor on a four-year deal. He was previously linked to top-tier German team SV Werder Bremen.

The Super Lig, the highest league in Turkish football, is not one of the five major European leagues, as it sits ninth on the UEFA Country Rankings 2024.

Trabzonspor have been one of the best-performing teams in the Super Lig, however, having won the league seven times and finished the 2023-24 campaign in third place on the 20-team table. The club most recently claimed the league title in the 2021-22 season.

A transfer to Trabzonspor will make Hong the only Korean player active in the league as well as the second Korean player to play for the club after ex-player Lee Eul-yong.

Hong joind K League 1 team Ulsan Hyundai, now called Ulsan HD, in 2018, but immediately spent a loan spell at SpVgg Unterhaching in the 3. Liga — the third division in German football.

After another loan spell from 2019 to 2020 at Austrian team Juniors OO, he joined fellow Austrian team LASK in August 2020 but spent a second loan spell at Juniors for the 2020-21 season.

The 2021-22 season saw him establishing himself as a regular pick, playing 40 fixtures across all competitions.

He has further picked up his form since joining Gent in 2022, having played as a key midfielder and racking up 18 goals and 20 assists across 104 matches so far.

Hong can continue his career overseas uninterrupted as he earned exemption from an 18-month mandatory military service by winning a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

The 2024-25 Super Lig already kicked off on Aug. 9, with Trabzonspor having drawn their first match to sit in 13th place as of press time Sunday.

Trabzonspor next face St. Gallen in a Europa Conference League playoff on Aug. 23. A victory will send Trabzonspor to the league stage of the tournament in which 36 teams compete.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]