The Celtic recruitment team often faces a lot of criticism when transfer windows are discussed. But the part of the club that deals with player exits probably deserves more praise than it gets. They have a habit of securing good deals as players move out and negotiating a bit more for further down the line.
Take Oh Hyeon-gyu as the latest example of that. The player signed for Celtic in January 2023 for a fee of around €2.8m from South Korean side Suwon Bluewings. He made 47 appearances and netted 12 goals for the Hoops but was struggling for chances a year later when Adam Idah arrived.
By last summer, it was clear Oh’s time at the club was up. He was strong, but still very unpolished. His forward play attracted too many fouls. He was a decent striker of the ball, but it was often rushed and wayward. It was no surprise when a move to Belgian side Genk was finalised.
A deal was set which was believed to be worth an initial £2.5 million plus another £1 million in performance-related bonuses. His overall statistics at Genk look similar to his time in Glasgow, 41 appearances, often as a substitute, and 12 goals. But he has made more of a positive impression there, especially with some vital late goals.
Player who left Celtic for £2.5m last summer now worth more than £9m
His transfer valuation appears to have skyrocketed. As reported by The Scottish Sun, Feyenoord have had a £9 million bid rejected by Genk for Oh.
And that's where Celtic’s negotiations come into play. They secure some shrewd sell-on fees when players leave which brings in extra bonuses further down the line. That's highly likely to be the case with Oh and any move to Feyenoord or others could bring yet another cash boost to the Hoops' bank account.
In Oh’s case that would be an earlier than expected surprise. This summer, with Jeremie Frimpong confirmed by Liverpool, then Matt O’Riley and now Oh looking at possible moves, those three cash boosts alone could more than match the Rangers’ transfer budget this year