Suwon Samsung is sending young guns raised in the youth system to Europe one after another.
The days when they were called ‘Real Suwon’ by recruiting good players from outside were a thing of the past. Now, it is transforming into ‘K-Ajax’, which raises good talent and pours them out like water.
Suwon officially announced on the 25th (Korean time) that they had agreed to send 22-year-old striker Oh Hyun-kyu to the prestigious Celtic in Scotland for a contract period of 5 years.
The transfer fee revealed by the British media ‘Sky Sports’ was 2.5 million pounds (approximately 3.9 billion won), but Suwon and domestic football officials claim that it is a large amount, so it is expected to exceed 4 billion won.
Oh Hyeon-kyu grew up in the youth system while attending Maetan Middle School and Maetang High School under Suwon. 안전놀이터
Then, he signed a semi-professional contract ahead of the 2019 season, and the following year, he quickly resolved his military service by enlisting in the Armed Forces Sports Unit, then returned to Suwon and scored 13 goals in the 2022 season K League 1 and played a big role in the team’s remaining competition. Last year, he was selected as the 27th reserve member for the World Cup and went to Qatar.
Last year, his remarkable growth led to his third trip to Europe after receiving a love call from Celtic and coming from Suwon Youth after Kwon Chang-hoon (2017) and Jeong Sang-bin (2021).
Oh Hyun-gyu’s move to Celtic is meaningful in that the result of the youth policy pursued by Suwon is not a one-two-time affair.
Suwon, which has Samsung, a global conglomerate that Korea is proud of, as its parent company, recruited a large number of star players to the extent that it was called ‘Real Suwon’ in the past, and spurred not only championships but also multiple crowns.
