Baek Seung-ho is going to Birmingham

Tony Mowbray, manager of Birmingham City in the English Championship (second division), is looking forward to Baek Seung-ho (26).

Mowbray hinted at Paik by recruiting him for the second time in the winter transfer market through the British media "Birmingham Live" on Sunday. Regarding Paik, he only said, "He runs in front of me and knows how to shoot from a long distance. He is good at passing and he runs around all the time," drawing attention.

Baek Seung-ho is about to re-enter the European leagues. Last week, a soccer official reported that Baek signed a contract with Birmingham City. Baek is currently leaving for the U.K. and is expected to complete the detailed process of his contract soon.

Locals also view Baek Seung-ho's joining as a fait accompli. Coach Mowbray, who declined to comment when rumors of his transfer surfaced, effectively admitted after losing 0-3 to Leicester City in the 2023-24 FA Cup, "I hope Baek will join this week. Let's wait. I hope he will provide something different from what we have."

Baek Seung-ho has successfully moved back to Europe for the first time in three years. Baek, who made his K-League debut through Jeonbuk Hyundai in March 2021, became a free agent this winter after fulfilling all his contracts. Longing for a re-challenge to Europe, Baek chose to go to England, a bit unfamiliar, and now he only has an official announcement left.

Baek Seung-ho has been active in Europe since childhood. When he joined Spain's prestigious Barcelona youth team as a teenager, he drew keen attention from the youth. He moved up to Barcelona B team and was sometimes called to join the first-team training. It is true that Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique, who is currently coaching Lee Kang-in, often called Baek Seung-ho as his training partner when he was young.

However, due to FIFA`s disciplinary action against FC Barcelona for violating rules on recruitment of young players, Paik had to spend the most important time without actual matches. Paik endured that period, but his dream to debut at Barcelona failed.

Later, he moved to Girona in the 2018-19 season and made his debut in the Primera Liga. Baek Seung-ho joined Darmstadt, the second division of the German Bundesliga, and expanded his career. Baek, who had calmly established himself in Spain and Germany, chose to return to Korea to play more actively.

Baek Seung-ho, who had priorities to recruit players in the K-League, created a number of issues in terms of skills and performance. During his three seasons with Jeonbuk, he played in 82 K-League games and scored nine goals and six assists. Based on this, he made the final roster for the FIFA Qatar World Cup in 2022, and won the trust of former coach Paulo Bento to advance to the finals. Notably, he scored a goal with a cheerful mid-range shot in the round of 16 against Brazil.

Last year, he served as the wild card and captain of the Hangzhou Asian Games national team, following Hwang Sun-hong. He led the team to the Asian Games gold medal by demonstrating his leadership and benefited from the mandatory military service. Baek, who gained momentum to re-enter Europe, has drawn attention from Germany and France, as well as from England. He aimed to advance to the top five European leagues, but has teamed up with Birmingham City, which negotiated with the most favorable team.

Baek will play in England for two years and six months. It will be a different challenge after Spain and Germany, but since Baek is familiar with European life, he does not have to worry too much about adapting himself to the situation. Moreover, the fact that Mowbray has been watching Baek for a long time can be interpreted as immediately recruiting a sense of power.

In fact, Birmingham put priority on strengthening the midfield. According to "Blues Focus" earlier, Birmingham recently hired Andre Dozel on loan. Recruitment of Baek Seung-ho is also aimed at strengthening midfield. If Baek joins the team, the quality of the midfield will increase. He called Baek the "Korean maestro" and showed what he expected.

While Birmingham reportedly looked at more than 30 candidates this winter alone, Baek Seung-ho was given a chance. Given that it is Mowbray's choice, Baek will be given a chance after the transfer. Another media outlet, Football Insider, said, "Mowbray is a big fan who wanted Baek Seung-ho even when he led the Sunderland AFC."

Mowbray is known as Jihanpa. He has a long history with Korean players. He coached Ki Sung-yueng at Celtic and Kim Doo-hyun at West Bromwich. "I have coached Korean players before. Everyone worked hard, listened carefully, and tried to improve further. They were amazing players," Mowbray said. "I hope they will help us make all-out efforts."

With Mowbray's favorable comments on Korean players, Birmingham Mail said, "The number of players heading to England from Korea has been increasing recently. Son Heung-min surprised the world at Tottenham Hotspur, and Hwang Hee-chan impressed. Hwang Ui-jo has not yet met expectations at Nottingham Forest, and Bae Jun-ho is making his name at Stoke City," predicting Baek Seung-ho to cruise as well. 토토사이트

Birmingham City boasts a great history in English football. Since its establishment in 1875, it has 149 years of history. Until the 2000s, it played well in the Premier League as well. However, it was demoted to the Championship by ranking 18th in the 2010-11 season, and has been in the secondary league for 13 years. Currently, it is concerned about its survival in the secondary league. It remains in the 20th place among 24 teams this season as well, with eight wins, eight draws, 12 losses and 32 points. The Championship will be demoted to the third division from 22nd to 24th. Baek Seung-ho should join the team and display his strength for his survival.