FC Nantes have submitted an official offer for Mainz 05 midfielder Hong Hyun-seok, according to an exclusive report from Sky Sport Germany’s Dennis Bayer. The Ligue 1 side are seeking reinforcements in midfield and have identified the 26-year-old South Korean international as a prime target.

Hong joined Mainz from KAA Gent in the summer of 2023 for a fee believed to be around €4 million, but his first season in the Bundesliga proved to be underwhelming. In the 2024–2025 campaign, Hong made 22 league appearances—only five of them starts—without scoring or assisting a single goal. He featured once in the DFB-Pokal and accumulated just under 600 minutes across all competitions. Often deployed as a central or attacking midfielder, and occasionally on the left flank, he failed to secure a consistent role in the side.

Despite this, Hong remains a player of interest across Europe. In addition to Nantes, several top-tier Belgian clubs are keeping tabs on the midfielder, who had impressed in the Jupiler Pro League prior to his move to Germany.

Sources suggest that Mainz are reluctant to let Hong leave, particularly with a potential UEFA Europa Conference League campaign in view. The club intends to expand squad depth to cope with the additional fixtures, which could improve Hong’s chances of more regular involvement. However, it remains to be seen whether the player himself is content to remain a squad option.

Sliding Out of the National Picture

Internationally, Hong has also seen his stock decline. Once a promising figure in South Korea’s midfield, he was omitted from the national team’s most recent call-ups in June. With competition intensifying and playing time at a premium, a transfer could revitalise his bid to return to the national fold.

Hong’s European journey began in Austria with LASK, before moving to Belgium with KAA Gent and later to Germany. His strengths lie in his pressing intensity, spatial awareness and creative link-up play—qualities that once made him a regular in South Korea’s U23 and senior teams.

A highlight of his young career came at the 2022 Asian Games, where he won a gold medal with the U23 national team. The victory secured him exemption from South Korea’s mandatory military service, allowing him to pursue his career in Europe uninterrupted.

Time to Move On?

While Ligue 1 might be a step down in prestige from the Bundesliga, Nantes could offer something Mainz cannot: consistent first-team football. For a player entering his prime years and desperate to reassert himself internationally, that may be an irresistible proposition.

Whether Hong remains in Germany or starts afresh in France, this summer could prove to be a turning point for the talented midfielder.