Kwon Hyeok-kyu

Celtic have launched an attempt to sign South Korean midfielder Kwon Hyeok-kyu, according to a report.

The South Korea under-23s midfielder is seen as one his country's best young prospects and could soon be linking up with Ange Postecoglou for the next stage of his career. The 21-year-old is with Busan IPark who play in K-League 2, the Asian country's second tier.



He is said to play at a high-tempo and have good fitness and technique, meaning he could fit well into Postecoglou's side. Indeed, Korean outlet Sports Chosun is reporting that an offer has been made to Busan, consisting of a "fairly large transfer fee" to try and tempt them to part with their prized asset


Hyeok-kyu began playing in the second tier for his current side when he was aged just 18 and still studying.

In 2021, he was loaned to army side Gimcheon Sangmu FC while he completed his mandatory military service, playing initially in the same division and then in K-League 1.

He's a versatile midfielder who plays mainly in a defensive role but can also operate further forward or in defence




Hyeok-kyu has played at the Olympics and has five caps at under-23s level




The report claims that Celtic have been monitoring the player for some time and have previously had other offers turned down.

The Hoops have had success in the Asian market with Japanese stars Daizen Maeda, Kyogo and Reo Hatate and already have centre back Yuki Kobayashi coming in during January.

They've also been linked with a swoop for South Korea's World Cup star Cho Gue-Sung

 

Looking forward to his song... ha

6 foot 3... nice

 

Imagine that would be Abildgaard away then for sure. Add a good bit of physicality and hopefully can fit into our style. It’s a great market for talent in Korea.

 

Doesn't even have a highlight video on youtube. Pass

 

I dont have problems signing "raw" players for the future. This guy would most likely be happy being a bench player.

 

Probably a wee South Korean pal for Cho

 

Here's one.



Mind you, it's not exactly awash with great moves. He does have a solid long pass.

 

Looks raw as * but similar style to our south korean old bhoy Ki. Feel old as * seeing that Ki is 33 now.

 

I'm about a year or so younger than Ki. It's been forever since he was here.

 

Surely a wee pal for Cho

 

What height is Cho if this is his wee pal

 

Alright big wee pal

Just watched the clips of him. This boy isn't coming here to start..

Clearly plays the 6 role that McGregor does and Iwata coming in as well..

Looks one for the future..

 

Looks quite tidy on the ball for a guy his height in those clips. Meant to be class at pressing as well. At 21 he's got plenty of room for improvement. It's a no brainer. Cho or Tengstedt are the ones I want to be seeing signed though ASAP

 

If I were him, I'd ask that any move happen in the summer. As it stands, we're loaded with midfielders. Even if McCarthy, Abildgaard and Ideguchi leave, Iwata's coming in, and there'd need to be more departures for young players to have game time available.

 

So a Korean Liam Shaw?

 

Guy for the future it seems.

Buy him now, loan out for 6 months abd see where he's at come summer.

 

Aye ye don’t mind that at all if it’s low cost with potential high reward

 

https://m.sportschosun.com/news.htm?id=202212290100195590025209&ServiceDate=20221229#_ace

Young MF of Busan’ Kwon Hyuk-gyu, ‘Love Call from Scotland’s prestigious Celtic’



Sports Chosun Correspondent Park Chan-joon] Young midfielder Kwon Hyuk-kyu (21) of Busan I-Park received a love call from Celtic, the 'famous Scottish house'.



An official familiar with the K-League transfer market said, "Celtic sent an offer to recruit Kwon Hyuk-kyu to Busan. They are not just willing to recruit, but are active enough to offer a fairly large transfer fee." If Kwon Hyuk-kyu succeeds in going to Celtic, another young K-League will go directly to Europe after Jeong Sang-bin (grasshopper loan), who transferred to Wolverhampton, England in January 2022.

Kwon Hyuk-gyu is one of the promising players who will lead Korean football. It is regarded as a masterpiece created by the Busan youth system. His ability was recognized enough to sign a semi-professional contract for the first time in the K-League 2 in 2019, when he was in his third year at Kaesong High School. He started in an away game against Jeonnam Dragons in September 2019, played until his debut, and was well received for his good play. Kwon Hyuk-gyu, who signed an official contract with Busan, which was promoted to the first division in 2000, played 16 league games. In the 11th round against FC Seoul, he even scored his professional debut goal. Although Busan was relegated, Kwon Hyuk-gyu's play received a lot of attention.




Kwon Hyuk-gyu enlisted in the military right away, and his ability was recognized in Sangmu. He was active as a main player even in the midst of K-League star players. His main position, defensive midfielder, as well as central midfielder and even three-back, showed off his versatility enough to play in one spot. Based on these performances, he was also selected for the Olympic team. He also played in the 2022 U-23 Asian Cup. Hyukkyu Kwon returned to Busan after being discharged in September.

Celtic paid attention to Kwon Hyuk-kyu, who showed potential even at his young age. In particular, attention was paid to his European physique of 1m90-83kg, high-level speed and excellent technique. Celtic has been watching Kwon Hyuk-kyu since his days as a managing director, and showed continued interest even after his return to Busan, giving him a passing grade. Celtic sent several offers early on. There was no giving up. Celtic recently sent an offer with a higher transfer fee again, and is known to be waiting for an answer from Busan. Kwon Hyeok-gyu, who had been aiming to advance to Europe since his childhood, is showing a willingness to take on the challenge.

Celtic is Scotland's premier club that needs no explanation. They have won 52 league titles. He also lifted the championship trophy last season. It also won the European Cup, the predecessor of the European Champions League, once (1966-1967 season). He also has a deep relationship with Korean players. Ki Sung-yueng and Cha Du-ri played. He played together from 2010 to 2012 and showed good form as the 'Ki-Cha Duo'.




Celtic have been using Asian players lately. After coach Angie Postecoglu, who showed off his leadership skills at Yokohama Marinos, took over, he recruited a large number of Japanese players and had fun. Celtic currently has four Japanese players: Kyōgo Furuhashi, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda, and Leo Hatate. Celtic has expanded its scope and is also paying attention to Korea. Celtic, which has been connected with Song Min-gyu (Jeonbuk) and Song *-keun (Shonan Bellmare), is also showing interest in Cho Kyu-seong (Jeonbuk), who has emerged as a star through the World Cup. Prior to this, Kwon Hyuk-gyu is being prioritized. Celtic made an offer to Kwon Hyuk-gyu before the World Cup.

The topic of Korean soccer, which has reached the round of 16 at the Qatar World Cup after 12 years, is going to Europe. Chung Mong-gyu, president of the Korea Football Association, who is also the owner of Busan, has suggested players advance into Europe as a way to ensure the sustainable success of Korean football. Before Kyu-Sung Cho, it remains to be seen whether Hyuk-Kyu Kwon will be able to pave the way for K-League to go to Europe.