Register
Edit Account-Sign Out
My AccountSign Out
NationalWorldTV
BREAKING
3 hours ago Paul O’Grady’s final radio show to be rebroadcast on Easter Sunday
49 minutes ago Heathrow security staff start 10-day strike affecting Easter travels
56 minutes ago Tributes pour as dad and son shot dead six-miles apart are named
2 hours ago Rotten meat in supermarkets report sparks national probe
2 hours ago The harrowing of Lewis Capaldi in insightful Netflix documentary
2 hours ago Paul O’Grady’s husband shares the last picture they took together

Celtic facing stiff European competition in race to sign South Korea World Cup star Cho Gue-Sung

Ange Postecoglou will be looking to add more firepower up front with Giorgos Giakoumakis expected to leave the club in January

Lewis Anderson
By Lewis Anderson
Published 2nd Dec 2022, 12:10 BST
Updated 2nd Dec 2022, 14:27 BST

Celtic are facing strong competition from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund to sign South Korea international Cho Gue-Sung in the January transfer window.

Reports claim Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou is interested in the striker who grabbed the World Cup headlines by scoring two goals in three minutes during their 3-2 group game defeat against Ghana on Monday.

Postecoglou knows the frontman well after netting against his Yokohama F. Marinos side in the 2020 Asian Champions League and could be actively looking to add more firepower in attack following the news that Giorgos Giakoumakis is set to leave the Parkhead club over a contract dispute.

Most Popular
South Korea’s forward Cho Gue-sung celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group H football match against Ghana at the Education City Stadium
South Korea’s forward Cho Gue-sung celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group H football match against Ghana at the Education City Stadium
South Korea’s forward Cho Gue-sung celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Qatar 2022 World Cup Group H football match against Ghana at the Education City Stadium

However, the Scottish champions are competing with Dortmund and Hungarian champions Ferencvaros for Gue-Sung’s signature, with the German outfit already understood to have received the lowdown on the 24-year-old star who currently plays for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in his homeland.

Former South Korean international Lee Young-pyo told CBS radio: “After the first game against Uruguay, the technical director of a very good club in Europe contact me about a scout report for Cho Gue-Sung,” and confirmed that the person in question was someone he had played with while at Borussia Dortmund.

Gue-Sung began his professional career with FC Anyang in 2019 after spending five years in the club’s youth system. After initially starting out as a defensive midfielder at Gwangju University, his role changed to a more attacking role. He netted 14 goals in the second tier and was selected as part of the league’s Best XI after becoming the third top scorer in his first professional season.

South Korea's forward Cho Gue-sung takes part in a training session at Al Egla Training Site 5 in Doha
South Korea's forward Cho Gue-sung takes part in a training session at Al Egla Training Site 5 in Doha
South Korea's forward Cho Gue-sung takes part in a training session at Al Egla Training Site 5 in Doha

That rise earned him a move to K League 1 side Jeonbuk but his first season proved challenging, scoring just four times in 23 apperances before deciding to begin his military service early with Gimcheon Sangmu. That helped him to develop physically and technically and the following year, Gue-Sung scored seven goals in 25 games to help the army team lift the K League 2 title and promotion.

A senior international call-up followed in September 2021 and last season again proved fruitful in front of goal as he returned to Jeonbuk and helped the club win the Korean FA Cup trophy. He created history by becoming the first South Korean player to score two or more goals in a single World Cup match, taking his tally to six goals in 18 caps.

South Korea