South Korean midfielder Jung Ho-Yeon’s hopes of a move to Celtic have been dealt a blow by his current manager, Lee Jung-Hyo.
Celtic had reportedly been tracking Jung with an eye to a possible transfer in the upcoming January window.
The Gwangju FC boss’ brutal comments stated that Jung lacks the necessary quality to make a switch to the Scottish champions at this point in time.
Jung, 23, had been rumoured to be the latest South Korean talent heading to Celtic Park, potentially joining the likes of Oh Hyeon-gyu, Yang Hyun-jun, and Kwon Hyeok-kyu.
However, Lee’s remarks indicate that the player has yet to achieve the level expected to thrive in European football.
As quoted by Football Scotland, his current manager said:
“I haven’t heard anything, but Jung doesn’t have the quality to go to Celtic. I hope he grows up, improves and eventually goes.
“But in its current situation, there is a high probability that he would come straight back. He needs to develop more in terms of skill and technique to be considered for a move to Europe.”
Speaking about Oh, Yang and Kwon, Lee said:
“Right now, those three players at Celtic are not adapting. They still need more time.”
That’s quite a strong statement from the manager, and it will be interesting to see what happens in regard to a possible transfer in the forthcoming weeks and months.
