Busan I-Park’s Kwon Hyuk-kyu (22) moves to Celtic.
“Busan midfielder Kwon Hyuk-kyu has agreed to sign a long-term contract with Celtic,” reported Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports in the United Kingdom on July 17 (KST). The transfer fee will be around £850,000 (about 1.4 billion won).”
He continued, “Celtic arrived in Japan today. Kwon Hyuk-gyu and Yang Hyun-joon will join the squad after finalizing their contracts.”
Celtic, along with Rangers, is a Scottish powerhouse. They have won 53 Scottish Premiership titles, 41 Scottish Cups (most), and 21 Scottish League Cups. There’s also the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
His last season ended on a high note. Under the guidance of manager Enze Postecoglou, now at Tottenham Hotspur, they won the league, Scottish Cup, and Scottish League Cup, completing the ‘Domestic Treble’. It’s safe to say that hegemony has passed to Celtic.
In the midst of it all, there was the Korean leaguer Oh Hyun-gyu (22). Oh joined Celtic from Suwon Samsung in the winter transfer window. He made a huge impact in the second half of the season, scoring seven goals in 21 official appearances. It was a short time, but it was enough to show his value.
Two more players will add to the squad. Yang Hyun-joon (21‧Kangwon FC) is the first to confirm his move to Celtic. Yang joined Gangwon in 2021 and initially played for the B team. As he became an ace, he was given a chance in the first team, making 10 appearances in the league and FA Cup combined. He blossomed last season. In 36 league games, he produced eight goals and four assists, earning him the Young Player of the Year award. He was also named a K League All-Star during the season and made a strong impression with a fantastic performance against Tottenham. Although he’s struggled a bit this season, his immense potential at the age of 21 was enough to entice Celtic.
After lengthy negotiations, a deal has been agreed, with Sky Sports’ Joseph reporting on Thursday that “Celtic are close to signing Gangwon winger Yang Hyun-joon. Celtic and Gangwon have agreed a transfer fee of just over £2 million. Personal terms are not an issue.” On May 15, Gangwon made it official on social media, announcing, “[Official] Yang Hyun-joon transfer to Celtic confirmed”. 메이저놀이터 The transfer fee was later reported to be £21 million (approx. KRW 3.5 billion) by multiple Scottish media outlets.
Celtic were unstoppable, and their next target was Kwon Hyuk-kyu. Kwon is a product of Busan Seonggol Youth. He was born in Busan and went through the Busan U-12, Busan U-15, and Busan U-18 programs. He broke into the professional ranks in 2019, signing the first semi-professional contract in the K League 2.
The midfielder has a lot of potential. At 190 cm and 77 kg, he has a strong physique and the versatility to play as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder, second striker, or winger. Despite his length, he has pace and good feet. He also has the advantage of being a bi-footed midfielder.
Kwon Hyuk-kyu played two seasons in Busan before joining Gimcheon Sangmu to solve his military problems. The K League 1 and K League 2 stages