Hyeongyu Oh’s Celtic future has been a topic of conversation this summer amid interest from elsewhere in his services.
Earlier in the window, Genk were reported to be keen on the South Korean as the Belgian outfit search for firepower in the final third.
Claims have also been made that a bid was turned down for Oh by Celtic, leaving his situation open as pre-season rolls on.
The 23-year-old featured last week against Ayr United, playing 45 minutes of a 1-1 draw at Somerset Park amid speculation over his standing at Parkhead.
Brendan Rodgers made an admission about Oh post-match, which will be touched on, but there is a scenario where he could be a moving part in the Bhoys’ transfer endeavours.
Hyeongyu Oh and Celtic moving parts this window
Speaking after the Bhoys’ draw in Ayrshire, Rodgers admitted there was interest in Oh that the club will evaluate before making a decision.
He stated [Sky Sports]: “There’s some interest in Oh, so we’ll assess that as a club and then manage that, but you see from tonight, his attitude is great. He had a good 45 minutes and worked hard. Let’s see what the coming days bring on that one.”
Scoring 12 goals in 47 appearances for the Bhoys, Oh has shown moments of class at Celtic despite not firing prolifically at Parkhead. He has also needed to play second fiddle to Kyogo Furuhashi, which isn’t an easy task.
Recently, it has become apparent that Adam Idah is a leading striker target for Celtic, with some outlets reporting he is expected to be granted permission for a Parkhead move.
Nevertheless, he is currently a Norwich City player. Transfer deals aren’t cut and dry, and his situation may take time to reach its final reckoning. In light of this, it is worth exploring one particular hypothesis that may explain the wait, in my opinion.
Links between Genk and Oh have gone quiet; there hasn’t been a whole lot of reportage on his situation for a couple of weeks. Could Celtic be looking to keep hold of Oh until a resolution is found with Idah, or at least something along those lines?
Realistically, there isn’t a whole host of strikers at the club right now. Furuhashi and the man in question are the only ones with any quantifiable senior experience, and you wouldn’t want to risk having only one to feature across the entirety of pre-season.
I am merely speculating, of course, and football doesn’t necessarily work like that. Nonetheless, it has crossed my mind occasionally as the separate sagas continue to develop.
Either way, hopefully, Celtic can have a healthy frontline present when they take on Kilmarnock come the Scottish Premiership opening day in a few weeks.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
