An update has emerged on Celtic's transfer plans as they eye further additions to their squad ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign…
What's the latest Celtic transfer news?
According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Hoops are in talks over a deal to sign Busan defensive midfielder Hyeok-kyu Kwon before the end of the summer transfer window.
The reporter has claimed that the Scottish giants have been interested in signing the South Korean stopper for 'some time', with the club now making their move to sign him.
Joseph does not mention the potential fee for the 22-year-old talent but The Scottish Sun reported that he could cost Brendan Rodgers' side around £1m.
This comes after 21-year-old winger Yang Hyun-jun reportedly completed a transfer to Parkhead from Gangwon, following Australia international Marco Tilio and Norwegian central midfielder Odin Thiago Holm through the door since the end of last season.
How good is Hyeok-kyu Kwon?
The South Korea U23 international is yet to be tested in Scottish football but his form in K League 2 so far this year suggests that the potential is there for him to be an excellent addition to the squad.
His defensive quality could make him a superb option for Rodgers to select in a holding midfield position, which could allow the Hoops to finally ditch James McCarthy.
It was reported by Football Insider earlier this summer that the Glasgow-based outfit are planning to cash in on the £20k-per-week dud this summer.
The 32-year-old only made two Scottish Premiership appearances last season and ranked 29th within the squad with a dismal average match rating of 6.50, as per Sofascore.
That came after the ex-Wigan ace averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.72 across ten league outings for Celtic during the 2021/22 campaign. In that time, the Irish midfielder made 1.3 tackles and interceptions per clash to go along with a pass success rate of 83%, as per Sofascore.
Kwon, meanwhile, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 across 18 K League 2 matches and completed 86% of his attempted passes in 2023.
The 6 foot 3 monster has made an outstanding 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game for his side, which is 1.2 more than any Hoops midfielder managed in the Premiership last term. This suggests that the talented youngster could provide Rodgers with an upgrade in that position in terms of what the gem offers out of possession.
South Korean journalist Jason Lee described him as a "sneaky good" signing with "tons of potential" for Celtic, which is backed up by his statistics and the fact that he is ten years younger than McCarthy.
Signing Kwon at the age of 22 means that the Scottish giants are investing in his development as well as signing a player with the quality to make an instant impact, given his exceptional ability to win the ball back for his team on a regular basis.
Therefore, the Busan star could be a superb addition for Rodgers, due to his scope to improve as well as his already-proven talent as a holding midfielder, who could also allow the manager to finally part ways with McCarthy.
Bringing in another option in that position would eradicate the need for the Irishman to remain within the squad as a backup option, which could then open the door for him to move on before the deadline.