Celtic have been urged to make another move for Cho Gue-sung come the summer transfer window. The South Korean World Cup star scored a brace in Qatar earlier this season and has saw his profile raised amongst club’s in Europe after a really good showing in the 2022 showpiece in the Middle East.
The Hoops were rumoured to be tracking the Jeonbuk Hyundai striker and were lining up a January move for the £2.5 million man, according to reports in the mainstream media. However, that particular story didn’t come to anything, with Ange Postecoglou favouring a move for his countryman, Hyeongyu Oh from Suwon Bluewings in the K-League.
It seems that Ange had been tracking the new Celtic forward for quite some time before his move to Glasgow’s East End and the player himself was very keen to push through a deal – so much so, that he begged his manager to let him leave so that he could experience life in the goldfish bowl. That was something the Bhoys boss was only too eager to point out once Oh had signed on the dotted line for the club.
Now, Ji Sung Park – who is sporting director at Cho’s club, Jeonbuk Hyundai – has come out and urged Celtic to reignite their interest in the frontman and make a move for his comrade come the opening of the summer transfer window. He said: “Celtic participate in European competition which is a great experience for the player and Cho would get an opportunity to express himself by playing in the Scottish league”, as reported by Football Scotland.
“It would be perfect for him to improve in the future and he could stay at Celtic,” they report, “which would be totally fine, or he could move on to a bigger league. Celtic,” he said, “would be great for him to be his next step in his career. In the winter there were a few clubs interested but we didn’t make a deal, but this summer I am happy to sell him and I think he’ll be ready for his next step. First he needs to do well in our league and keep up his level, then prove it himself and I’m sure he can go to Europe in the summer.”
Despite rumours swirling around that Cho favoured a move to Mainz in the Bundesliga and that the only reason he never moved was because of the lack of funds available to the German side, Park has insisted it’s not as cut and dried as all that. “It wasn’t just one reason he didn’t leave in January, the transfer market is not a simple thing, it can be very complicated,” the ex-QPR midfielder admitted. “Staying here for now means he has time to prepare, learn the language and then in the summer he can have a pre-season with a team which would be a benefit for him.
“Keeping him could be good for our club because Cho scores lots of goals, he’s popular after the World Cup so it might have people excited about our league and our club, that’s a benefit, but it’s more time for him to prepare to go to Europe and succeed, not just going there to say he plays there. I didn’t speak with Celtic directly, we got an offer from an agent (working on their behalf), so I don’t know about that. I spoke with Mainz directly, that’s the only difference. If he’d preferred something I’d think probably Europe but it’s up to him and his career. In the winter it’s not the main market so that would be one reason. He didn’t prefer any club at that moment, Mainz was the rumour, but I’m not sure that’s true.”
Park also confessed that a move to Parkhead would be tempting with European football on offer, trophies to win, a taster for British football, and playing in front of 60,000 every week being the cherry on top. “Celtic is a great club and many in Europe and Asia know that,” Park added. “They are the leading club in Scotland so probably they’ll join the Champions League or Europa League. The Scottish league I know there are some Japanese players there and there have been Korean players in Ki Sung Yeung and Cha Du Ri so I think it’s great to play in Scotland, great for Asian players.”
He said: “Not going straight to the Premier League or one of the top five leagues, that could be better for him to adapt to the standard. There’s a path to succeed for Asian players, like Cho. We don’t know yet which clubs will keep an interest in him in the summer, we’ll have to wait and see, but obviously if Celtic want to submit another offer for Cho in the summer they’re more than welcome. I don’t judge any club for him, we just have to see which clubs want him and from that the player will choose. I can advise him to which club will be more suited to him but it’s up to him. If Celtic…come in I would recommend.”
On the strikers current frame of mind following a failed January transfer window exit from his current employers, he said: “I think at the beginning of the market he might have found it stressful because he wanted to move but he had to think about it. The summer transfer market is more the main market, winter is the secondary and situations change in winter depending on what clubs need. Maybe sometimes they’re rushed to buy players but in summer you have long-term for the season, so it’s two different focuses on the market and he had to think about that as well.
“There’s lots to consider and many people around him are advising him but the final decision is his and he decided to stay. We’re happy because he’s an important player but we need to prepare for him leaving in the summer. He’s focused on our league, his character is positive and he knows what he needs to do which is focus on his performance and then he can leave. He’s fine at the moment, he’s fit to play our league matches.”
Paul Gillespie
