Celtic 'advance' in Jung Ho-Yeon transfer talks but Gwangju midfielder warned against 'clumsy situation'

Jung Ho-Yeon has held "advanced" talks with Celtic over a possible January transfer but has been warned he could find himself in a "clumsy situation" in the Scottish Premiership, according to Gwangju manager Lee Jung-Hyo.

The Hoops were first alerted to the 2023 K-League Rookie of the Year earlier this season before manager Brendan Rodgers intimated his desire to add experience and quality to his side when the winter window opens next month.

The promising South Korean midfielder wouldn't necessarily fit the type of player Rodgers is looking to bring to the club, but the 23-year-old has proved to be a shining light in his second full season in K-League 1 after helping Gwangju clinch promotion last term.

Celtic already have a strong contingent of Korean players among their first-team ranks, including trio Oh Hyeon-gyu, Yang Hyun-jun and Kwon Hyeok-kyu who all made the move across from the Middle East in recent transfer windows but are NOT regarded a regular starters.

And the Parkhead side are claimed to have been keeping tabs on Ho-Yeon after Gwangju boss Jung-Hyo was quizzed about their interest, having previously stated he wasn't good enough to play for Celtic.

Speaking to local outlet Donga, he said: "Jung Hy-Yeon is currently in talks to advance to Europe from Gwangju, but still have a long way to go. If you go to Europe now, you are bound to end up in a clumsy situation. It is wise to prepare well like Cho Gue-Sung (signed for FC Midtjylland last summer) and choose the team and league well."

The player insists he is edging towards a move and even namechecked Celtic as he detailed the number of teams scouting him in his homeland. He told Chosun: "A move into Europe is slowly getting closer. During the last season, scouts from some European clubs, including Celtic, came to see me play in person."

He continued: "If I could choose a league, I want to play in the Spanish LaLiga. From an early age, I loved FC Barcelona's style of football."