Celtic’s number one target at striker this month was believed to be Cho Gue-sung. But with the World Cup star looking set to stay at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors for the time being, it looks like the Hoops have turned their attention towards another South Korean striker and now are looking to sign Oh Hyeon-gyu from Suwon Samsung Bluewings instead.
While Cho might be the most highly rated striker in South Korea right now, Oh has impressed a lot as well and is considered as the future of their national team.
It is also worth mentioning that Oh is still just 21 years of age and as a result, the kind of development that he has shown already in the K League, the sky could be the limit for the youngster. And his future might very well lie at Parkhead.
Initially, it had looked like Suwon Samsung Bluewings were not willing to let Oh leave this month. But now, it appears that the situation might have changed. As reported by the Daily Record, a club official told Korean outlet News 1:
"“There was news that the transfer fee was €2.5m but in reality, I was offered a higher amount than that.“Celtic offered 10 times the salary Oh Hyeon-gyu would receive in the K-League this season. It is a level that is difficult for us to afford.“Still, we can’t just send it away. If Oh Hyeon-gyu leaves, we will decide what the alternative is and whether it is possible to recruit a player. We plan to make a final decision within the Lunar New Year (January 22) holiday at the earliest.”"
Celtic seem to be closing in on move for Oh
It remains to be seen if Celtic can get a deal over the line for Oh or not. It does feel like his current club are much more open to the prospect of him leaving now, than they were just a few weeks back.
Rumours have suggested that Celtic are actually closing in on the move and it might only a matter of time before Oh arrives at Glasgow.
Of course, a transfer fee bigger than €2.5 million is significant, especially when you consider that Oh has never played in Europe before. But at the same time, the 21-year-old has tremendous potential and Celtic have shown a great eye for picking out talent in recent times.