Celtic man hailed as 'ideal player' and handed major World Cup boost as £2m transfer deal hits potential snag
Celtic winger praised for his impressive form.
Celtic winger Yang Hyun-jun has been told that his impressive form at Parkhead this season can supercharge his World Cup dream after earning a recall to the South Korea squad this month.
Expected to leave on transfer deadline day in September, he had been heavily linked with a £3million move to Birmingham City. However, with a move not materialising, he remained with Celtic and has forced his way back into the club’s starting XI.
Scoring eight goals in all competitions, Yang’s goal return is his best since joining the club from Gangwon FC in the summer of 2023. Recalled by head coach Hong Myung-bo following a nine-month absence ahead of their pre-tournament friendlies against the Ivory Coast and Austria this week, his remarkable upturn in form at Celtic Park this season has been hailed by the national team boss.
“Yang Hyun-jun has shown levels of consistent performances this season for Celtic,” said Myung-bo. "I can say he is performing much better than the last time he was with the squad. He is an ideal player to use here as we experiment with tactical flexibility.
"I have not finalised the World Cup squad yet. I will select the players with the best performance and physical condition right before the tournament. These two games are all about maintaining momentum. We want to be competitive at the World Cup and these matches will give me an idea if we will be."
Placed in Group A of the World Cup, South Korea will face co-hosts Mexico, South Africa, and the winner of the UEFA Path D playoffs at this summer’s tournament in the Americas. Their preparations start with a match against the Ivory Coast this Saturday at the MK Stadium in Milton Keynes, followed by a trip to Austria to face Ralf Rangnick’s side in Vienna next Tuesday.
Meanwhile, on-loan defender Maik Nawrocki’s move to German side Hannover could have hit a snag just days after the club’s sporting director confirmed they had planned to turn his loan deal into a permanent one. The Polish centre-back left Celtic in the summer in order to sign a season-long loan deal with the promotion-chasing 2. Bundesliga side, and has been a key performer, with the team just three points off the top of the table in fifth.
Bagging the only goal in their 1-0 weekend win over fierce rivals Eintracht Braunschweig, sporting director Jorg Schmadtke revealed that they had planned to activate the £2million option in Nawrocki’s loan deal if they secured promotion back to the German top flight in the aftermath of the game.
Just hours after the derby victory, though, Schmadtke found himself sacked by Hannover just three months after his arrival at the Heinz von Heiden-Arena, leaving Nawrocki’s future in doubt.
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