ANGE POSTECOGLOU’S penchant for trawling the lesser ploughed furrows to unearth transfer gems has turned Celtic supporters into expert sleuths over the past couple of years, as they look to gather information on the latest talent to come from a far-flung corner of the globe to Glasgow’s east end.
When it comes to South Korean striker Oh Hyeon-gyu, who finally sealed his long-mooted move from Suwon Samsung Bluewings to Celtic yesterday for a fee of £2.5m, they will have found little but glowing reports.
For more than two centuries The Herald has been delivering quality news and insightful commentary. To celebrate our 240th anniversary, we’ve launched our lowest ever subscription offer – one year for just £24.https://t.co/v7nDp2BrP7 pic.twitter.com/KFMVyriX9T
— The Herald (@heraldscotland) January 24, 2023
Oh travelled with his country to the World Cup, being named in manager Paulo Bento’s original 26-man list as a contingency due to injury fears over star man Son Heung-min. The Tottenham Hotspur striker recovered sufficiently from a fractured eye socket to play in Qatar though, meaning that Oh was relegated to 27th man, and would not feature during the tournament.
So highly thought of is the 21-year-old though that Bento invited him along anyway, recognising the experience would stand him in good stead for his inevitable progression into becoming a key player for his national side.
"I have been closely watching Oh for about a year,” Bento said.
“He impressed me a lot. He is a young player who has excellent technique and is a powerful predator in front of goal.
“His movement is excellent and he is fast. He is also physically very strong. All these attributes are exactly what good strikers need. Oh is also strong in the tackle too and reads the game well.
“It wasn't a snap decision to put him in the World Cup squad, I watched him personally at matches. Having observed him in the training camp too, it was clear that Oh fitted in very comfortably at that level. He scored 13 goals last season and that's a good return at his age.
"When it was confirmed that Son was going to be fit for the World Cup, I explained the situation to Oh and told him he could come with us and be part of the squad, although he wouldn't be in the official 26-man list.
“He could have stayed at home, but decided to join us because it would be great experience for him, and I was delighted to hear that.
“His time will come soon for the national team."
Oh has been earmarked as a straight replacement for the soon-to-be departed Giorgos Giakoumakis, and in terms of the squad role he occupies at first – backup striker to Kyogo – that characterisation is accurate enough.
And as it can be seen in Bento’s comments, most notably when it comes to references to his power, strength and technique in front of goal, he shares many common attributes with the big Greek forward too.
The most eye catching of those qualities would be his ability to find the net, hitting 14 goals last season for a team who struggled on the whole over the course of their K League 1 campaign. He is an aerial threat too, with six of those goals coming from getting on the end of set-plays.
There are other strings to Oh’s bow though too, suggesting he can add something extra to this Celtic team that Giakoumakis could not. For instance, though his preferred position is through the middle, Oh spent some time last season playing on the right of a front three.
It is his ability to carry the ball that also allows him to be effective in wide positions, and that clearly makes him distinct from the other striking options Postecoglou has at his disposal. Oh managed 3.55 dribbles per 90 minutes last season according to Wyscout, while Kyogo has recorded 1.45 dribbles per 90 minutes this term, and Giakoumakis just 1.02.
Celtic manager Postecoglou certainly seems enthused by what his latest capture can bring to the party, even claiming that Oh was his preferred option ahead of long-time target, the more experienced South Korean international forward Cho Gue-sung.
What he is certainly getting in Oh is a player of huge potential, who will bring new qualities to the Celtic attack in the short term, and offers long-term promise too in terms of the player he could become over the course of his five-year deal.
“I have watched Oh for some time and he is the striker I really wanted as I think he will be a great fit in our squad,” Postecoglou said.
“Really importantly, I know that he had his heart set on joining us too and that his own perseverance has been crucial in making this deal happen, so his determination to join Celtic has been very clear.
“We are delighted to bring Oh to Celtic. He is a young, talented striker with great attributes and someone who is ready to take the next stage in his career – a player who is hungry, eager to develop and to achieve success.
“We are really pleased to welcome him to the club and look forward to working with him and settling him into our squad.”
