An update has emerged on Celtic and the possibility of Wilfred Ndidi arriving at Parkhead in the summer transfer window…
What’s the latest on Wilfred Ndidi to Celtic?
According to Football Scotland, the Nigerian international is not a ‘serious’ target for the Scottish Premiership side ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
The report claims that the club are not actively pursuing a deal to sign the Leicester City enforcer, who worked with Brendan Rodgers during their time together in England, despite having been linked with an interest in acquiring his services.
It states, however, that the Glasgow giants are in the market to bring a defensive midfielder to Paradise before the deadline, as they had been working on targets prior to Ange Postecoglou’s departure.
The Daily Record recently reported that the club have been scouting Gwangju stopper Ho-yeon Jeong and the youngster could be an alternative to the now-Championship star.
Would Ho-yeon Jeong be a good signing for Celtic?
Rodgers could forget all about Ndidi by securing a swoop for the 22-year-old enforcer as his form in 2022 indicates that the talent is there for him to be an excellent signing.
Gwangju earned promotion from K League 2 last year and Jeong played a significant role in their success with his impressive displays across the middle of the park.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.94 across 36 appearances and offered quality on both sides of the game.
The 22-year-old showcased his defensive attributes with 4.9 duels won per game with a success rate of 54%.
Ndidi, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.75 in 27 Premier League matches for Leicester last season, and came out on top in 4.1 battles per outing with a success rate of 55%.
These statistics suggest that the "elite player" – as described by journalist John Bennett – and the South Korean battler could offer a similar level of defensive protection, along with efficiency, in front of the back four if he can translate his form over to Scotland.
However, the £75k-per-week Foxes powerhouse is not as adept in possession. Ndidi created 0.1 chances per game and completed 84% of his attempted passes for his club last term.
Meanwhile, Jeong averaged 0.8 key passes per outing and registered a pass completion rate of 88% in 2022, which suggests that the Gwangju tank would be able to provide his teammates with more opportunities in front of goal while also being more reliable with the ball at his feet.
It is difficult to compare their statistics to any of the current Celtic squad as Postecoglou's 4-3-3 system did not employ a defensive midfielder, while Rodgers' preferred 4-2-3-1 set-up could have a specialist number six in one of the two deep-lying positions in the middle of the park.
The Hoops are in the market for a holding player in midfield to fill that role and Jeong could be an exceptional alternative to Ndidi based on his performances for Gwangju last season.