Cho Gue-sung explains why he opted against winter move after Celtic links

By Lewis Laird

February 16, 2023

South Korean striker Cho Gue-sung has revealed why he chose against moving clubs in the winter window after being linked with a move to Celtic.

Going into January, it was widely reported that Ange Postecoglou was on the hunt for a new striker to bring to Parkhead.

Towards the end of the transfer window, the Celtic boss got his man, as he signed Suwon Samsung Bluewings forward Hyeongyu Oh on a long-term deal.

After completing the signing of the 21-year-old, Postecoglou revealed that Oh was someone the club had been chasing for a while.

At one stage, negotiations faltered, and the former Socceroos boss admitted he didn’t think that a deal would go through. But ultimately, the player helped forced through a move to the Hoops.

Oh wasn’t the only striker linked with a move to Celtic Park in the January window, though. His fellow countryman, Cho Gue-sung, was also believed to be another player on the Bhoys’ radar.

Following his performances at the World Cup for South Korea, the 25-year-old was reportedly targeted by Celtic’s recruitment team, and it seemed like a bit of an on-running sage.

Bundesliga and MLS clubs were also in the running for the Jeonbuk frontman. But he ended up choosing to remain in his homeland.

Speaking in a recent interview ahead of the new K-League season, Cho revealed why he choose not to move elsewhere in the January transfer window.

Despite links to the likes of Celtic and Mainz, the striker felt that his best bet was to move in the summer transfer window due to the fixture schedule in European leagues, which would see him go straight into action after the World Cup.

He said [Chosun]:  “I thought I would transfer when the offer came because I did well at the World Cup in Qatar. I had doubts while I was taking a break from exercising.

“I was thinking about when my body would come back if I went to Europe now. In particular, I heard a lot of advice from seniors and coaches around me.

 “I gained a lot more than I thought in the last World Cup. My goal was to become a professional player, play games, and then become a member of the national team. Participating in the World Cup was also a dream. In the end, my dream came true, now I am ready for the next step.

“Everyone has a dream. Everyone has a different dream. However, it is not the dream to make a lot of money as a soccer player, the most important thing right now is to prepare well for the next step.

“My final goal is the Premier League. Of course, to advance to the Premier League, which is the final goal, I have to go through stages.”

Hyeongyu Oh commitment to Celtic would have been a huge reason Ange Postecoglou opted for his signature.

You can sort of see the reasoning behind Cho Gue-sung’s decision to remain in South Korea if he did not wish to jump straight into competitive action after the World Cup.

However, some might argue that his stock won’t be higher than after his performances out in Qatar, and several clubs were chasing his signature.

This explanation is probably one of the main reasons Ange Postecoglou opted to continue chasing the signature of Hyeongyu Oh.

The striker was desperate to make a move to Parkhead, and despite failed negotiations, he continued to push for a move to the Hoops.

That is the sort of players the Celtic manager has stated he wants in the squad, those who are desperate to play under his stewardship and for the club.

It should be interesting to see what Cho’s next move is come the summer. He is completely justified to wait things out and see how it goes in the summer when he can kick start a new season with a club.

But I think Ange Postecoglou will be delighted to have gotten his man, and now Oh will be looking to build up some momentum following his first goal for the Bhoys.

In other news, International striker discloses the valuable advice he gave Hyeongyu Oh on Celtic move.