An update has emerged on Celtic and their pursuit of a deal to sign Yang Hyun-jun in the summer transfer window…
What's the latest on Yang Hyun-jun to Celtic?
According to Sports Chosun, the Hoops are interested in a deal to sign the South Korean winger ahead of the 2023/24 campaign but have run into problems in negotiations with Gangwon FC.
The report claims that the K League side have proposed a deal that would see the Scottish giants sign Yang on a permanent basis before loaning him straight back to them until January.
However, Brendan Rodgers' side rejected this offer as they want to have the exciting forward in the building for their pre-season next month.
The player has also gone on record to state his preference in making the switch immediately: "I want to go in the summer, not in the winter. I hope (the club) will let me go as promised."
Who is Yang Hyun-jun?
Rodgers could land an excellent addition to his squad by working with Mark Lawwell to get a deal over the line for the 21-year-old in the coming weeks, as he could be a big upgrade on current Hoops attacker James Forrest.
A right-footed right winger, the Gangwon star's form in the K League 1 last year suggests that he has the potential to be a terrific asset for the Scottish giants.
Yang averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.02 across 36 league outings in 2022 and contributed with eight goals and five assists from out wide, to go along with six 'big chances' created.
To give those numbers some context, the 5 foot 10 threat would have ranked fourth for goals and sixth for assists within the Celtic squad.
Forrest, meanwhile, has scored five goals and provided four assists in his last 35 Scottish Premiership clashes for Celtic since the start of 2021/22. The 31-year-old dud has created four 'big chances' for his teammates across that period of time, statistics that suggest the veteran winger does not offer consistent quality in the final third.
In 22/23, he ranked as low as 12th for goals and tenth for assists within the squad in the league, indicating that the attacker was far from being one of the top-performing contributors, and this is why Yang could be a much-needed addition.
Rodgers may be looking to improve the depth of his squad with a view to being able to compete in Europe alongside all three domestic cup competitions.
Therefore, the signing of the South Korean could be a shrewd one as the young talent has the potential to be an upgrade on current Celtic forward Forrest, based on their respective records of scoring and creating goals for their teams.
Described as "highly creative" by FC Twente philosopher Joost van der Leij, he is also ten years younger than the Scotsman, meaning that he has more long-term value to the club and could develop and improve as a player with more experience.
It is now down to the club to convince Gangwon to part ways with the attacker immediately, instead of wanting to keep him until January, to improve the squad ahead of next season.