Cho update as he ‘leans towards Mainz’ as Celtic are linked with another striker

A report from Korea suggests that Cho Gue-sung is only likely to leave Jeonbuk Hyindai if a deal can be agreed with Mainz.

Celtic and Minnesota United have been in negotiations with Jeonbuk but it seems that playing in the Bundesliga and alongside international team-mate Lee Jae-seong are the driving factors in any decision to move.

Since his appearance at the World Cup Finals in November Celtic have been linked with Cho but approaching the halfway points in the transfer window it seems that the player would prefer to wait on other options.

FourFourTwo Korea reports:

Celtic and Minnesota seemed to be ahead of the transfer fee, but Cho Kyu-seong leaned toward Mainz, which belongs to the German Bundesliga, a big European league. If he does not go to Mainz, he is likely to stay in Jeonbuk.

An official said, “Cho Kyu-sung’s mind is leaning towards Mainz. He wants to advance to the European big leagues, and the Mainz coach is also deeply interested in Cho Kyu-sung. If he can’t head to Mainz, he thinks he’ll stay in Jeonbuk. He is contemplating whether to go to Europe in the winter or summer.”

The reason Cho Kyu-seong wants to move to Mainz is clear. This is because Lee Jae-seong, a senior from Jeonbuk and the national team, is active in Mainz, and Mainz coach Bo Svensson wants Cho Kyu-seong directly. In addition, while Mainz is actively negotiating with Cho Kyu-seong, the situation is different in that Celtic and Minnesota are also considering recruiting other strikers such as Oh Hyun-kyu and Hwang Eui-jo.

It seems unusual if Celtic and Minnesota are being paired together and linked with the same three Korean strikers.

Oh Hyun-kyu is a 21-year-old at Suwon Bluewings that has been linked with Celtic this month, Hwang Eui-jo is a 30-year-old currently playing in Greece for Olympiakos.

CLICK HERE for Hwang’s Transfermarkt profile.

CLICK HERE for Oh Transfermarkt profile.