Western Sydney Wanderers have added significant pedigree to their backline ahead of the upcoming Isuzu UTE A-League campaign, signing South Korean defender Jeong Tae-wook on a season-long loan.
Arriving from K League 1 powerhouse Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Jeong will wear the Red and Black of Western Sydney in season 2024-25 after agreeing to join Alen Stajcic’s new-look Wanderers side.
Captain of the South Korea side who won the 2020 AFC Under-23 Championship (now known as the AFC U23 Asian Cup), the 27-year-old brings a wealth of experience to CommBank Stadium having also captained his country at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Jeong’s South Korea beat Graham Arnold’s Australia – boasting A-Leagues graduates Aiden O’Neill, Connor Metcalfe, Keanu Baccus and Tom Glover as well as new Wanderers teammate Gabriel Cleur – 2-0 in the quarter-finals en route to AFC U23 Championship glory.
“Jeong has played over 150 games in the K League 1 and played recently in the AFC Asian Champions League Quarter Final,” said Wanderers boss Stajcic of his new signing.
“He brings a wealth of experience to our team and sharing that with some of our younger defensive players will be invaluable.”
Jeong featured in 14 league matches for Jeonbuk in this season’s K League 1 campaign whilst also featuring prominently during their run to the quarter-finals in last season’s AFC Champions League.
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“I am so happy to be joining the Western Sydney Wanderers,” said Tae-wook after his loan move was made official.
“I am very excited to start my new chapter here, and I will try my best to live up to the expectations that the fans and club has for me.
“Thank you and see you on the pitch.”
Standing at an impressive 1.95m (6 foot, 3 inches), Jeong first established himself as a mainstay with K League 1 side Daegu FC over the course of four seasons before moving to the country’s most successful side, Jeonbuk, for a fee approaching $2.5million dollars in 2023.
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The central defender lands in Wanderland as new head coach Stajcic begins to build out his squad ahead of the upcoming campaign and is likely to slot straight into the heart of the defence.
Following the departure of fan favourite and former club captain Marcelo Guedes, Jeong will add some much needed experience to a youthful backline which currently features the likes of of young central defensive duo Alex Bonetig and Anthony Pantazopoulos.
The South Korean central defender becomes the second signing of the Stajcic era following the arrival of Bulgaria international midfielder Bozhidar Kraev, who joined on a two-year deal after leaving Wellington Phoenix.
Jeong could be in line to make his Wanderers debut in the coming weeks as Western Sydney will be featuring in the last 16 of the Australia Cup.
