Hyeok-kyu Kwon, born 13 March 2001 (age 24) in Korea Republic, is a central defensive midfielder for Nantes. Standing at impressive 1.9m (6ft 2in) and weighing in at 77kg (12st 1lb), Kwon cuts an athletic figure on the field, wearing the number 5 jersey. A quick check to Transfermarkt confirms his current market value to be a respectable £600k.
His professional football journey began in earnest in January 2019, with Busan I'Park in the K League 2, his home country's club. That debut season, Kwon managed two first team appearances in league matches. The 2020 season saw him make 16 appearances and notch up one goal. By season 2023, he made 20 first team appearances and scored two goals.
Come March 2021, Kwon transitioned from Busan I'Park to Gimcheon Sangmu, another K League club, albeit on loan. Season 2021 with Gimcheon Sangmu saw him making 14 first team appearances; the following season, he upped the ante with 19 first team appearances.
In September 2022, Kwon completed his loan period with Gimcheon Sangmu, making a swift return to his first team, Busan I'Park. His appearances and performance, much like earlier stints, remained noteworthy yet measured in scope and impact.
The doors of Scottish Premiership opened for Kwon in July 2023, when he transferred to Celtic for a sizeable fee of around £860k. His time at Celtic, however, was characterised by loans to other Scottish Premiership sides. In January 2024, he moved to St Mirren on loan, registering eight first team appearances during the 2023/24 season. By August 2024, a loan move to Hibernian saw him make 21 first team appearances in the 2024/25 season.
Kwon's tenure with Celtic effectively ended when he waved Scotland goodbye and headed to Nantes in France's Ligue 1, in July 2025, for a fee of approximately £220k. At present, in the season 2025/26, Kwon has been seen strutting his stuff for Nantes, making five first team appearances in league matches to date.
