Celtic target Cho Gue-Sung breaks silence on transfer interest as Japanese comment shows he’s been paying attention
CHO Gue-Sung has opened up on his Celtic transfer links - and hailed the Hoops for their commitment to the Asian market.
We were first to tell you how the Hoops were plotting a transfer move for the man who caught the imagination with some fine displays for South Korea at the World Cup in Qatar.
But there's a scramble for his services - with Olympiakos yesterday becoming the latest side to register an interest.
Fortunately for Celtic, one of the side effects of the Japanese invasion which Ange Postecoglou has overseen at the club is how it attracts other Asian players to follow suit.
The Hoops have no fewer than SIX Japanese players on their books - in the form of Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi, Reo Hatate, Tomoki Iwata and Yuki Kobayashi.
Most have assimilated well to Scottish life - with Maeda and Kyogo bagging the goals in yesterday's Old Firm draw at Ibrox.
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And that can ease the passage for Asian stars who may be concerned about taking their first steps into the European game.
Speaking to Korean outlet KVN, Cho Gue-sung admitted talks have taken place and he is clearly keeping abreast of developments at the reigning Scottish champions.
He said: "Celtic have six Japanese players in its squad.
"As you can see there, it is a team that has invested heavily in the Asian market over the past few years and there have been talks."
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Turkish giants Galatasaray are another club who have been linked with the striker, but Cho appeared to distance himself from those stories.
He said: "This is not true.
"There is no recruitment offer from this club in Turkey."
The Hoops' latest Japanese recruit Iwata was signed by Postecoglou for Yokohama before the Australian moved to Celtic.
He was managed at his previous club Oita Trinita by Tomohiro Katanosaka and the pair won two promotions.
And he underlined what Celtic fans can expect if and when they complete the signing of Iwata.
He said: "When Tomoki was named as the Most Valuable Player in Japan I actually shouted for joy because I was so happy for him.
"He is a player who takes his football extremely seriously. He is one of the hardest trainers I can ever remember.
"He has worked incredibly hard to improve and get where he is today."
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page