Celtic-linked player admits he is not good enough for the Hoops

Since Brendan Rodgers took charge at Celtic for his second stint in the summer of 2023, the ambition to sign new players has been high. However, that ambition hasn't always materialised into new signings. In the next summer transfer window, fans hope the Northern Irish manager will receive more financial backing to execute his plans because that hasn't been the case in this campaign.

Now, The Hoops find themselves in second place in the Scottish Premiership table. Despite them starting the season well and establishing a big gap at the top earlier in the campaign, dropping points against Aberdeen and Kilmarnock recently has seen them fall behind the Rangers.

Optimism about winning the league always exists in the hearts of Celtic fans and understandably so given their dominance of the Scottish football hierarchy in recent years. The fanbase, which is one of the best in the world, is a major pull factor for incoming transfer targets as it is one of the first things they come to learn about the club.

Celtic have signed quite a few players from the K-League in recent times. But for one South Korean midfielder, it looks like a move to Parkhead is off the table.

Celtic-linked player admits he is not good enough for the Hoops

Jung Ho-Yeon was believed to be a Celtic transfer target in the January window. He wasn't just any other target, since the club seemed genuinely interested in bringing him in and had been linked with him for months. It was believed that the player was in talks with the Scottish champions, but the move never materialised.

As reported by Football Scotland, speaking about the links between him and a Celtic move, Jung told Sports Seoul: "There was no official offer, it’s because I’m not good enough."

It is incredibly courageous for the player to admit his own shortcomings. It is genuinely humbling to see a footballer speak about their personal development in such an honest way.

It is also good to see that Jung followed up by saying: "I think I need to increase my value as a player this season. I think there is a lot of room for improvement, so I don't have any regrets now."

Jung is 23 years old and represents Gwangju FC in the K League. Celtic have signed many players from this league in the recent past. The recruitment team have a clear understanding of the South Korean top flight, so if the midfielder continues his development, then he could get his breakthrough move to Europe.