Celtic were very well represented at the World Cup. And as one of their heroes exits for Union Berlin, a potential new signing has his own very unique story to tell from the tournament. The signs are very positive that we’ll soon hear official news of South Korean striker, Oh Hyeon-gyu, joining the club, most probably to replace Giorgos Giakoumakis, with the Greek international expected to complete a departure this month.
Oh is rumoured to be in Glasgow, to complete his medical and with a deal already agreed between Celtic and Suwon Samsung Bluewings. If that all is accurate then an announcement can be anticipated very soon.
Oh will bring with him special praise from a world and English Premier League star in Son Heung-min. He also brings an unusual World Cup experience of his own.
The Tottenham Hotspur superstar secured a last minute place in South Korea’s World Cup squad following late recovery from an eye socket injury. The squad had already been named though and that meant someone had to drop out to make way. That turned out to be Oh.
Son had special praise for Celtic target
As reported by the Daily Record, Son said about Oh:
"“I am only at the World Cup because Oh sacrificed his place in the squad for me.“What I want to say to him is thank you so much. Even though he is a young player, he decided to try and help the team. Although he wasn’t in the final roster, he was the most important player in the squad in my eyes.”"
Apart from the obvious character and team spirited nature evident in Oh, Celtic if they do sign him, will benefit from the player travelling to the World Cup and training with the squad there despite having given up his place. He’ll have learnt a lot from that experience even if he didn’t get any playing time.
Of course, he was in top form during the 2022 K League campaign as well, despite of Suwon Samsung Bluewings’ struggles as a team last season.
Also at 21 years of age, Oh has plenty of time and room to improve his game further. Thus, if Celtic are able to sign him, they might be getting a great long-term addition to the squad.