TSG 1899 Hoffenheim defender Kim Jin-su has joined Korean side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old left back joins the Asian Champions League holders on a four-year contract, after the South Korean international didn’t make a single appearance for the Bundesliga club this season.

For the fans

Speaking about his transfer, the full back said: “I’m glad to be with a team of Asian champions. I always thought that if I joined the K League, my first choice would be Jeonbuk."

He added, “The main reason is the Jeonbuk fans. I could see how passionate they were even when I was playing in Japan and Germany. I will do my best on the field and hope the fans will support me.”

Kim joined Hoffenheim in 2014 for a reported fee of £850,000 after impressing at Japanese side Albirex Niigata, and the defender went on to make 34 league appearances for the Sinsheim club.

Cast-out

However since the appointment of Julian Nagelsmann, and the shift in formation from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3, Kim has found it difficult to break into the squad, let alone the substitute bench.

His last appearance for the club came against Bayern Munich almost a year ago to the day, in a 2-0 defeat against the eventual champions that season.

Jeonbuk manager Choi Kang-hee believes that the team will have a more dynamic defence with the signing of Kim. “We have big expectations for Kim. And I believe he will meet our expectations,” said Choi. “Now that we have signed aggressive side-backs, Lee Yong and Kim Jin-su, we can show a very offensive football to our fans.”

Jeonbuk finished the 2016 season in second place, finishing three points behind champions FC Seoul, however, the Green Warriors claimed the AFC Champions League in late November, beating UAE side Al-Ain 3-2 over the two-legged final.

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Dylan Walsh
Student at the University of Brighton, 20-years-old, Twitter: @dylanwalsh_