Paulo Bento assesses FC Porto target: “It’s never good to compare, but…” | OneFootball

FC Porto’s transfer market has not yet entered the acceleration phase that André Villas-Boas, the Dragons’ president, recently said would come at a more advanced stage of the summer. Even so, the board already has defined targets and continues to assess the next steps, especially regarding Hwang In-beom, one of the names mentioned as a possible reinforcement for midfield. Known to Francesco Farioli — the two crossed paths in the Eredivisie in 2024/25 — the 29-year-old midfielder, who plays for Feyenoord, appears as an interesting profile and, above all, one distinct from what the Porto coach currently has available in that area.

That is why A BOLA spoke to the person who knows the South Korean international best and reached out to Paulo Bento, one of those responsible for the player’s development. When he answered the call, the former national team coach sounded pleased: “It’s a pleasure to talk about In-beom.” It was the Portuguese coach who gave Hwang, then 21, his debut for the South Korea senior national team in 2018. “What I took from the four years I worked with In-beom, and also with the other players, is a tremendous work ethic, as well as great respect for hierarchy and for one another. It’s something characteristic,” Paulo Bento told our newspaper.

“He is also a player with an incredible work rate, someone who understands the game very well, including from a defensive standpoint. Even though he does not stand out physically, he is aggressive in duels, a player who is not afraid,” highlighted the 57-year-old coach, drawing a comparison with a former FC Porto player... though cautiously: “It’s never good to compare, but he is somewhat similar to what João Moutinho was like. As the Spanish say, comparisons are always hateful, but that’s the direction I’d go in.”

On the tactical side, Paulo Bento does not hesitate: Hwang In-beom can become an important asset for Farioli. “He is very advanced. For example: in a 4-2-3-1, he can play as a number 10 or in the double pivot. If you want to play with different characteristics in the number 6 role in a 4-3-3, he can do it with quality and ease, thanks to his tactical understanding and technical execution,” explained the coach, who also sees the midfielder as comfortable “in any position of a diamond.”

Without wanting to get ahead of the market, Paulo Bento believes his former player is ready to make the step up. “I would calmly and confidently say that In-beom is a player who would fit into any of the Portuguese Big Three. And I’ve been saying that for some time. He has already been at Olympiacos, at Feyenoord... With all due respect, this possibility [FC Porto] is a level above and one he would be prepared for. I have not the slightest doubt,” assessed the former national team coach, convinced that, if the process moves forward, Hwang’s adaptation to the new context will not be a problem. “He speaks English easily. He has been in Europe for more than five years and has already been through Russia, Greece, Serbia and the Netherlands, where he worked with several coaches of different nationalities. It does not seem like a problem at all to me,” Paulo Bento concluded.

“Prince or son, in a way...”

Throughout the four years he coached the South Korea national team, Paulo Bento built a “strong empathy” with many of the players he trained. Hwang In-beom was no exception and was even nicknamed Bento’s Prince. “It was something that also came from the group itself, because the others also notice it and joke about it... His teammates, probably jokingly, would say that In-beom was the Prince or, in a way, a little bit my son. All those situations helped create that good relationship and that label, but in a good way,” explained Paulo Bento.

Paulo Bento remained closely connected to the players he coached in South Korea – Photo: Instagram/Hwang In-beom

“In-beom was one of the players who immediately caught my attention, and the empathy developed over time. These are feelings that are created as part of a long process. That bond still exists and even today I keep in touch, not only with him, but with many other players. It is a bond that will last a lifetime,” the Portuguese coach told A BOLA.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.