Now it looks like it's time to go. Oh Hyun-Gyu (23, Celtic) has finally been named on the release list.
“Seven stars have been identified who could leave Parkhead,” The Scottish Sun reported on Tuesday (June 30). Oh is poised to lead Celtic's major departures this summer,” the paper reported.
Oh joined Celtic in January 2022 through the winter transfer window. The former K League One “new kid on the block” took a bold step into Europe by accepting Celtic's offer. He was approached by manager Enzi Postecoglou, who is now in charge of Tottenham.
Of course, Oh was not guaranteed a starting spot. That's because of the presence of Scotland's top scorer and Japan international striker Kyogo Furuhashi. As a backup striker, Oh gradually increased his playing time.
Nevertheless, Oh made his mark by showing flashes of brilliance. He made his presence felt in limited minutes in his debut season, scoring seven goals in 21 games. It was enough to raise expectations for his sophomore season.
But the reality was harsh. Postecoglou left for Tottenham and Brendan Rodgers took over as manager. 안전놀이터 On top of that, Oh's form began to falter after an early-season injury.
While he was silent, Rodgers brought in Adam Ida on loan from Norwich City to play as the No. 9, and the 6-foot-4 winger repaid the trust of his manager with eight goals and two assists in 18 games in a Celtic shirt. Unsurprisingly, Oh's playing time has been reduced. There were times when he didn't even make the bench.
Eventually, the second-year jinx struck. Celtic won two trophies, the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup, but Oh couldn't smile all the way to the bank. In 26 games, he played 722 minutes and scored just five goals. Furthermore, he hasn't played since February against Kilmarnock. Ida, on the other hand, scored the winning goal in the Scottish Cup final and was on fire until the very end.
Now, Oh has fallen out of favor with the Korean national team. Interim head coach Kim Do-hoon, who took charge of the two June A matches, chose Lee Min-gyu (Ulsan) and Oh Se-hoon (Machida Zelvia) as his strikers. Despite the injury to star striker Cho Kyu-sung (Mitwillan), Kim chose Oh Hyun-kyu over the inexperienced Osahun.
For Oh, it was a decision he needed to make for his national team career. Celtic are also preparing to part ways with Oh.
According to The Scottish Sun, “Rodgers is looking to overhaul his squad for the 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League (UCL) season. Oh, who cost £2.5 million, barely featured in the second half of the season. He was not even in the squad for the Scottish Cup final and is likely to have limited opportunities next season.”
Fortunately, he's not out of favor in the transfer market. “Oh signed a five-year contract with Celtic in January 2023 and was initially a regular under manager Angie Postecoglou. However, he fell out of favor under Rodgers,” adding, ‘He is reportedly attracting interest from several European leagues.’
There's not much room for Oh to slot in at Celtic right now. Japan international strikers Furuhashi and Maeda Daizen are holding down the fort, and Ida could be on the move outright. According to The Scottish Sun, “Celtic want to sign Norwich's £5million striker Ida this summer. They already have Furuhashi and Daisen at the No. 9 position.”
As well as Oh, midfielder Kwon Hyuk-kyu could also leave Celtic. The midfielder performed well on loan at St. Mirren in the second half of last season and is being linked with a return to the club.
If Oh and Kwon leave at the same time, that would leave Celtic with only one Korean player, Yang Hyun-joon. The 'Korean Trio' would be disbanded after just one year. However, we can't rule out the possibility of a move for Yang Hyun-joon, as he was also left off the roster at the end of the season. Even if he stays, he'll face stiff competition.
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