South Korea national team's Bae Jun-ho (22) has agreed to join Olympique Lyon. According to France's Foot01, the Stoke City midfielder has already accepted Lyon's offer, and both clubs are negotiating the final terms. Jun-ho, who watched all three group stage matches (Czech Republic, Mexico, South Africa) from the bench at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, is making a miraculous career upgrade. Currently, South Korea is in 3rd place (3 points, 1 win, 2 losses, recent form LLW) and has been eliminated from the group stage.

What led to this transfer?

Jun-ho joined Stoke City three years ago for a transfer fee of €2 million (approximately 3.4 billion KRW). With one year left on his contract, Lyon's management has highly valued his potential and is pushing for his acquisition this summer. Jun-ho's positive stance on the transfer has made the negotiations smoother.

The World Cup connection

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, South Korea lost to Czech Republic (0-1), Mexico (0-2), and South Africa (0-1), failing to advance from the group stage. Jun-ho did not play a single minute in these three matches. The fact that he had to sit on the bench at the World Cup, which was supposed to be a stage for his transfer promotion, makes his move to Lyon even more surprising. Lyon is a prestigious club in France's Ligue 1 and can serve as a stepping stone to major European clubs.

Future prospects

The media reported that 'more fans will get to know Jun-ho' and that 'according to Santi Aoun of FootMercato, Jun-ho has already agreed to join Lyon if Stoke City and Olympique Lyon reach a transfer agreement.' Jun-ho's transfer will be remembered as an event symbolizing a new challenge for the South Korean national team.