Celtic are not resting on their laurels at the start of the current transfer window.
The Hoops have already signed Kieran Tierney and will finalise a deal to sign former Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan soon.
FCN winger Benjamin Nygren is set for a £1.7m switch to Glasgow, while Celtic are also in talks to recruit Michel Ange-Balikwisha from Royal Antwerp.
With incomings, there will always be outgoings. And it was reported by Sky Sports that Celtic want to offload five first-team players this summer.
FK Austria Wien ‘keen’ on Celtic midfielder Kwon
One of them is forgotten midfielder Kwon Hyeok-kyu, who was signed two years ago for a fee of £1m from Busan IPark.
He hasn’t even played a competitive game for the Bhoys yet, so it’s clear why Brendan Rodgers wants to sell him.
Kwon played for Hibs on loan last season, and now he is destined to leave Parkhead permanently. Could that be for FK Austria Wien?
According to former 67 Hail Hail reporter Mark Hendry, the Austrian Bundesliga outfit are ‘seriously interested’ in signing Kwon this summer.
Hendry wrote via his Substack account: “It is understood the Bundesliga club are keen to take the 24-year-old to Austria and Kwon is open to a Parkhead exit.
“We understand Vienna actually attempted to bring Kwon to the club last summer on a loan swoop.
“However at the time the club were unable to take any more foreign players on loan having already exhausted the limit in the league which is a maximum of six.
“Now they are considering a move for the Korean under-23s cap who could depart Celtic Park on a permanent move.
“It is understood Stephan Helm is on the lookout for a player who can play in the No.6 role and he likes Kwon for that spot.
“Kwon can leave the Scottish Premiership giants for the right fee and if the circumstances are ideal for all parties.”
Kwon’s career stats so far
Kwon certainly showed signs of a promising defensive midfielder when playing in his native South Korea for Gimcheon Sangmu and Busan IPark.
That’s why Celtic signed him, and it appeared to be a bargain. But like many of the summer 2023 incoming transfers, it hasn’t worked out at all.
| Club | Apps | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | 2nd Yellow | Red Cards | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busan IPark | 44 | 3 | 1 | 11 | – | – | 3,172′ |
| Gimcheon Sangmu | 36 | 0 | 1 | 6 | – | – | 2,532′ |
| Hibernian FC | 22 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – | – | 1,167′ |
| St. Mirren FC | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 642′ |
| Celtic FC | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 111 | 3 | 2 | 19 | – | – | 7,513′ |
Kwon has played more games for both St Mirren and Hibs whilst a Celtic player, which shows Parkhead is not the place for him anymore.
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