Premiership club in talks with Celtic over midfielder

There are quite a few Celtic players out on loan currently. It can be a great way for them to get more game time, build experience and at times rebuild confidence. That in turn means there could be more opportunities for a first-team spot when they return, or perhaps an increase in the transfer value of a player who had a question mark over their head previously.

That means it is usually good news when a Celtic player is having a really successful loan spell. Mikey Johnston at West Brom is a great example. There is another such player who has also been pleasing Brendan Rodgers with his performances on the pitch.

Hyeok-kyu Kwon has been raising fans' eyebrows since he joined last summer. Early signs suggested he wasn’t up to the level needed to play for Celtic.

He featured in a couple of pre-season friendlies and was on the bench for a few matches. Kwon though has yet to make a competitive appearance for Celtic. 

Premiership club in talks with Celtic over midfielder

All of this combined to make a loan move to St Mirren in January a sensible plan. One which looks to be going well with Kwon playing regularly there. As reported by Football Scotland, Rodgers said:

"Again, it’s an opportunity to go and play. We are really pleased.

"I spoke to Stephen, he needed game time with the squad being too big here.

“He is a talented player and hopefully he has gone and shown that and the guys are really delighted with him there."

On the other hand, St Mirren already appear to be looking to extend Kwon's time at the club and have been speaking to Celtic about it. Stephen Robinson said:

"He’s someone we’d really like to keep.

"We’re speaking to Celtic about it, perhaps keeping him for another season with ourselves.

"We’d be very keen to do that, but he isn’t our player and that won’t be our decision.

"We knew he’d have an influence, it was about getting him game-time. He came to the country and hasn’t played a lot.

"It’s something we’d be very keen to get done. It’s possibly a long way off happening, but that would be in an ideal world for me."

While it is still possible we might see Kwon return to compete for a place in the Celtic midfield, it is quite a strong area when everyone is available. It would still be questionable if the South Korean midfielder has what it takes to play there for the Hoops.

Even if we see changes, for example, Matt O’Riley possibly moving on in the summer, there are several others on the sidelines, such as Odin Thiago Holm and Daniel Kelly, looking to establish themselves. There is also Bosun Lawal, who is also currently excelling on his loan spell at Fleetwood Town and could have a role to play in the Celtic first-team next season.

Kwon’s promising loan spell is certainly another positive. It may not lead to a Celtic return but it could help ensure a deal for a move can be arranged. Never say never though. Not many would have foreseen Liam Scales being a starter.