20 days to go in the K League summer transfer window…teams at the bottom of the table are busy
Martin Adam, Kyung-Won Kwon and more summer transfer success stories
The supplementary registration period for professional football’s K League 1 is coming to an end. While clubs are busy trying to improve their league positions, some of the most successful signings of all time are also in the spotlight.안전놀이터
The Korean Professional Football Association held a four-week supplementary registration period from the 23rd of last month to the 20th of this month.
Federation Internationale de Football Association has two player registration periods per year, with the first lasting up to 12 weeks and the second lasting up to four weeks. The Korean K League has an additional registration period between June and July.
K League clubs use the extra registration period to add players to shore up areas of weakness during the season.
Teams in the relegation zone tend to sign more players during the extra registration period. This year, 11th-placed Gangwon FC (5 players), 10th-placed Suwon FC (4 players), and 12th-placed Suwon Samsung (3 players) were among the teams that focused on strengthening their roster.
Suwon brought in Kim Joo-won, Kim Gom-yeol, and Kazuki (Japan). Gangwon added Yun Ilok and Tucci (Montenegro) and Yago, Gabriel and Wellington (Brazil). Suwon FC added Kim Jae-hyun, Lopez, Bautersson and Hugo Gomes (Brazil).
There have been numerous examples of players coming in during the supplementary registration period and changing the game in the K League.
Last year, Ulsan Hyundai was leading the league but was concerned about the lack of depth at the back.
In response, Ulsan signed Hungarian international Martin Adam in the summer transfer window. He was one of the main contributors to Ulsan’s title success, scoring nine goals and providing four assists in 14 games and being named Player of the Round three times.
In the summer of 2021, Seongnam FC signed national defender Kwon Kyung-won from Sangmu on a six-month short-term contract.
Kwon, who alternated between left-back and centre-back, made 18 appearances for Seongnam, scoring one goal and providing one assist and being named to the round’s Best Eleven three times.
Incheon United were heavily favoured to be relegated after losing eight consecutive league games in the first half of 2020 (a team record and tied for the longest losing streak in K League 1 history), but Costa Rican international Aguilar stepped up in every game with two goals and three assists in 17 appearances.
Aguilar scored the winning goal in the final game of 2020 against Seoul to secure a dramatic stay up.
In 2019, the Pohang Steelers signed Brazilian David and Montenegrin Vladan, but both players were released mid-season after underperforming.
In the summer, the club brought in Bundesliga player Ilyuchenko and Serbian international Palošević, who both impressed in their first year with the club (Ilyuchenko with nine goals and two assists in 18 games, Palošević with five goals and three assists in 16 games). Pohang, who were in the mid-table at the start of the season, finished fourth in the league thanks to their performances.
Former Manchester City player Mix made headlines in the summer of 2018 when he joined Ulsan on loan, becoming the first player in the K League to move directly from the EPL.
He made 17 appearances and provided two assists. In addition to his goals, his versatility as a playmaker in the Ulsan midfield allowed him to deliver forward passes and shoot from mid-range. Mix signed a loan extension the following year and contributed to Ulsan’s runner-up finish with six goals and two assists in 31 games.
Daegu FC signed Junio from Brazil in January 2017, but cancelled his contract early in the season in March due to injury.
Daegu then re-signed Junio in the summer as he recovered from his injury. Junio’s scoring form skyrocketed in the second half of the season, with 12 goals and one assist in 16 appearances.
South Korea international Yoon Beom-garam returned to Jeju in the summer of 2017 after taking a voluntary salary cut to return to his hometown club on a free transfer from Jenbene FC. Yoon scored a goal in his return match (22R against Sangju) to lead the team to victory. He went on to score two goals and three assists in 17 games, helping Jeju to a runner-up finish.
Jonatan, Adriano, and Shin Hyun-min have also contributed to the team, having previously joined from Suwon, FC Seoul, and Jeonbuk Hyundai in the summer transfer window.