Celtic could soon sign Gangwon FC forward Yang Hyun-jun, with the K League 1 side now ready to sanction a deal.
Are Celtic signing Yang Hyun-jun?
The Hoops are prepared to back new manager Brendan Rodgers with a £30m transfer kitty this summer, with midfielder Odin Thiago Holm and winger Marco Tilio both signing five-year deals from Valerenga and Melbourne City respectively.
Scotland internationals Kieran Tierney and Scott McTominay have also been linked with moves to Celtic Park from Arsenal and Manchester United, with Yang another player of interest.
It emerged last month that the Hoops had made a significant offer to bring the forward to Scotland, and recent reports claimed a £2.1m fee has been agreed between the two clubs.
However, Gangwon wanted to keep their forward until January when their season finishes, but it looks as if their stance has now changed.
Football Scotland relayed an update from Sports Chosun regarding Celtic and Yang, describing it as a transfer breakthrough.
It is believed that Gangwon are now ready to allow the forward to leave immediately, adding that CEO Kim "showed an open-minded and embracing attitude" and that Yang's transfer "remained a matter of time".
Yang has been desperate to make the move to Parkhead, saying that he would even give up his salary in order to push through a transfer.
"It is an opportunity that does not come easily (to join Celtic). I told the CEO, general manager, and coach that I wanted to advance.
"Celtic is a good offer, so I want to go. I have to do my best as a member of Gangwon. But I think the desire to go will still be there.
"I want to go to Celtic this summer. I hope Gangwon will allow me to transfer. If the transfer fee isn’t enough, I’ll even give my salary."
Who else is leaving Celtic?
The Hoops will be without midfielder Aaron Mooy next season after he announced his retirement, whereas star winger Jota has completed a move to Saudi Pro League champions Al-Ittihad in a deal worth £25m.
Meanwhile, Liel Abada could also be on the move later this summer, with Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas claiming the forward is of interest to both Sporting CP and Ajax.
Therefore, should Abada join Jota in leaving Glasgow, Yang could arrive and bolster Rodgers’ wide options. The 21-year-old is primarily a right-winger who can also play on the left or through the middle, so would bring plenty of versatility to Scotland.
He was hailed as “excellent” and a “level above” in the media following a pre-season display against Tottenham last year, so he could be the next success story when it comes to Celtic signing players from Asia, potentially playing alongside the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Oh Hyeon-gyu, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda.
A transfer appears to be on course following the apparent change in heart from Gangwon, so we could soon the forward make the move relatively soon with an agreement already reached, making this one to keep an eye on over the coming days.