Minhyeok Yang chose his next loan move from Spurs very carefully - but there’ll already be doubts whether Pompey was the right choice
And the roots of that fight were planted well before he agreed to make a season-long switch to Fratton Park as he spelt out his ambitions for the 2025-26 campaign in an interview in his native South Korea.
Minhyeok Yang’s Pompey career to date
A player highly-rated at Tottenham following his January arrival on a six-year deal from K-League 1 side Gangwon, Pompey saw off competition from clubs in France, Belgium and the Championship to sign the South Korea international.
It was, therefore, no surprise to see him thrust straight into the action as a second-half substitute in the 1-0 win at the Kassam Stadium, with Yang quickly demonstrating the skill, pace and threat that prompted the Blues to secure his signing on a season long loan a day earlier.
A 90-minute outing against Reading in the first round of the Carabao Cup three days later followed, with the winger once again looking lively.
But without really penetrating an inexperienced Royals back line or turning his trickery into moments of magic that would allow the Blues to progress in the competition, the talented teenager has since been forced to take a back seat as he adjusts to the demands of playing for John Mousinho.
Yang’s name has appeared on the Pompey team sheet for the three Championship games that followed up until the current international break.
Yet there’s been no introduction to the action, with the talented teenager forced to watch the games against Norwich, West Brom and Preston North End from the sidelines as an unused sub.
Fratton Park patience needed with Minhyeok Yang
Patience is clearly needed in this respect, with Yang - who spent the second half of last season on loan at QPR - still in the first 12 months of his maiden year in English football.
But with South Korea already qualified for next year’s World Cup, it might not be something the youngster has at his disposal.
The former Gangwon forward has one international cap to his name, after featuring in a World Cup qualifier against Jordan in March.
That proved he’s someone manager Hong Myung-bo believes is a serious option for next year’s finals.
However, the Pompey loanee is not currently with the South Korea national team for their friendlies against USA (Saturday) or Mexico (Tuesday), putting his place in next year’s competition in jeopardy.
What Minhyeok Yang’s priorities were ahead of Pompey move
That’s something Yang needs to address as quickly as possible, especially as the national team was at the centre of his thoughts when he was deciding what loan move would suit him best last month.
‘You need playing time to earn a call-up to the national team. I’m focusing on places where I can play.
‘(Former Spurs team-mate and national team captain) Son Heung-min shared his own struggles living abroad at a young age and told me I need to get stronger. Right now, being at a club where I can play is the best option.’
Competition for places at Pompey
Settling into life at Pompey and adjusting to Mousinho’s demands is not the only obstacle Yang needs to overcome, though.
There’s also the small matter of competition for places at Fratton Park - something that just got a lot harder following the Blues’ deadline day moves for Conor Chaplin and Franco Umeh.
Their presence, even in the absence of injured duo Callum Lang and Harvey Balir, means Pompey boss Mousinho has an array of attacking talent at his disposal this season.
And according to Hong, he needs his players playing regularly if they are to join him on the plane to North America next June.
Speaking generally about those not getting regular game time at present, he said: ‘It's still early in their seasons, and so we will see how things play out.
’I can't control their playing time from over here. I hope the players will try to step up their game and earn more minutes.’
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