Celtic transfer target deemed ‘not good enough’ as Premier League club ‘remain keen’ on Rangers star

Philippe Clement will get his reign as Rangers manager up and running this weekend when his side face Hibernian at Ibrox, while Celtic welcome back Callum McGregor and Greg Taylor from Scotland duty ahead of Sunday’s trip to Hearts.

The Hoops have been linked with a transfer swoop for another South Korean player but a move to Glasgow could come too early, while a Light Blues defender is still interesting an English Premier League club. Here’s a look at some of the latest news updates and rumours surrounding both Glasgow sides on Wednesday, October 18.

Celtic transfer target deemed ‘not good enough’

Celtic target Jung Ho-Yeon ‘doesn’t have the quality’ to join the Scottish champions according to his own club manager in South Korea.

The 23-year-old Gwangju midfielder is reportedly being monitored by Parkhead scouts after helping his side clinch promotion to the K-League last season. He has featured 18 times so far this term, but manager Lee Jung-Hyo reckons a potential move to Celtic would come too soon.

He stated: “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.”

Ho-Yeon is the fourth South Korean player to have been linked with the Hoops in recent months but Jung-Hyo claimed the three that moved to Scotland (Yang Hyun-jun, Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Oh Hyeon-gyu) are struggling to adapt to life in Glasgow. He added: “Right now, those three players at Celtic are not adapting. They still need more time.”

Premier League club ‘remain keen’ on Rangers star

Rangers defender Borna Barisic remains under consideration by Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest - three months after being linked with a move for the Croatian international. The Reds displayed an interest in the 30-year-old left-back in the summer as they looked to strengthen their rearguard, with that area of the pitch made a priority.

According to TEAMtalk, Forest are still eyeing up Barisic but they face stiff competition from Turkish side Trabzonspor, who had a recent offer turned down by the Glasgow giants. Barisic - who has made over 200 first-team appearances - is out of contract next summer and will be free to hold talks with other teams in January. With that in mind, it’s claimed the Light Blues will offer the player a new two-year deal to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of the season.

The report suggests Rangers ‘will hope to cash in’ on Barisic if fresh terms are agreed after developing into a key member of the squad since joining from boyhood club NK Osijek for £2million in 2018.