Celtic are believed to be closing in on a move to sign Oh Hyeon-gyu from Suwon Samsung Bluewings. The South Korean striker is believed to be the replacement for Giorgos Giakoumakis for the Hoops, with the Greek international expected to complete a Parkhead exit before the January transfer window slams shut.
For weeks, it had been believed that Cho Gue-sung was Celtic’s number one target to replace Giakoumakis in the squad. But now, it appears that the World Cup sensation is set to remain at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
As a result, Celtic have had to look at other options and it appears that they have settled on another South Korean striker in the form of Oh.
Rumours have suggested that a move is close and that Celtic have already agreed terms with Oh. Now, as reported by the Daily Record, the South Korean striker has told Korean outlet Mooye:
"“We verbally agreed on personal terms and expect to complete the transfer within a few days.”"
Oh confirms Celtic transfer rumour himself
Thus, it looks like Oh is on the verge of completing his move to Celtic. There have been some suggestions that the striker is in Glasgow already in order to complete his medical. And as a result, the fans should expect an official announcement to be made in the not too distant future.
On the other hand, it is also interesting to see what the future holds for Giakoumakis. While an exit seems to be almost inevitable, his next destination is not quite set in stone yet. Clubs like Urawa Red Diamonds and Atlanta United are believed to be the frontrunners to sign the Greek forward though.
Coming back to Oh, it is safe to say that he is not the complete striker yet and might not be able to replace the impact of Giakoumakis straight off the bat. But he is still just 21 years of age and has shown plenty of potential to suggest that he can prove to be a great long-term signing, if his development goes as expected.