GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - FEBRUARY 25: Celtic's Hyunjun Yang celebrates scoring to make it 4-0 during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park, on February 25, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
The story last night that Yang is wanted by Norwich, and that the club might be willing to let him go, leaves me with mixed feelings—and I have to be honest about that.
There is a possibility that he will sign for the English club, and that’ll be another of the Mark Lawwell signings off the wage bill. Most of those signings can go without any complaints from me or most other Celtic fans, but Yang is a little different.
Yang has been in the first team squad. He’s been a part of the team.
He’s had good games—in fact, he’s had some really good games, and not just last season but towards the end of the one before.
Yang, of all the players from that intake, has shown us that he has something. Maybe not enough to make it at Celtic in the long term, but enough that if he was kept around, if he stayed in the squad, no one would have much of a complaint. He’s one of those players we can bring on in games in Scotland and largely depend on.
This is not one of the guys like Nawrocki, like Lagerbielke, like Holm, like Tilio—players who’ve been written off. One of those guys who was never going to play many games unless we were in the deepest possible injury crisis. This guy is a first team player however people might feel about that. And when I look at the squad right now—when I look at the wide areas—I see that we have a problem there.
That problem doesn’t get any better by selling Yang.
Now, if we have a plan to replace him—if we have a plan to go out and buy better quality—then I’m all for it. But that should happen before he’s sold, not after. When are we going to learn to stop doing this?
What is this imperative about getting players out before we bring players in? It is preposterous. And every time we do this, we leave another hole in the squad that we have to fill—and which everyone out there knows we have to fill.
I don’t have any real issue with moving Yang on. Because as decent as he’s been—and he has been pretty decent—he hasn’t been brilliant too many times. And we need a little bit of brilliance. You cannot ask us to lose players like Jota and Kuhn, as well as playing Maeda through the middle when necessary, and honestly argue that Yang is of that calibre. We should be looking for someone of that calibre to play in that role.
But we can’t leave that role empty either.
We can’t have a squad hole that big, where we then have to play someone out of position or bring in a player from the academy—someone who, one week, is playing in the Lowland League and the next is expected to perform in the Champions League. That should be a non-starter, no matter who’s making the case.
I think there’s development potential in Yang.
I think he’s a player who could do us a turn if he stuck around. If the manager did more work with him—well, we’ve seen the impact Rodgers has already had. He looks a much better player for having worked with our manager. But that’s up to the boss.
And he knows as well as anybody—in fact, he knows better than most—that we cannot have another player from the first team squad leave without replacing him first.
I don’t trust this board of directors, but in spite of my frustration with him I do trust Rodgers.
And Rodgers cannot possibly be sanctioning this deal unless there’s a plan to replace the player. That plan needs to be robust. It needs to be solid. And I’ll tell you what—it needs to be put in place quickly.
There are a lot of unanswered questions hanging over this window at the moment, and this could very easily turn into another one.
There are already a lot of holes in the squad. We do not need to create more. Not without plugging some of those that already exist.
As I said yesterday, this is a big week. A lot of people at the club have a lot to prove to us in the next seven days. And we’re going to have to do things at a speed we haven’t seen in a long time at this club. We’re going to have to do things in a joined-up and structured way—and it’s been even longer since we’ve seen that at this club.
This week will either calm people’s nerves, or it will send our nervousness through the roof. And it’s going to be very interesting to see what we end up with when it’s done.
Yang leaving would leave a gap that needs to be filled, and very quickly. However, although he is a decent player and fairly dependable, I don’t think he will ever reach the heights with us, he does have his moments, but they are to few and far between. We can certainly do better, and a reasonable offer from Norwich would have to be seriously considered. I do hope we have someone in mind to replace him though, over and above Kuhn, but if not, then we must keep him in the squad for the time being. I had actually thought that Nygren would be played out right in place of Kuhn, but in the Portuguese friendly we had Tilio playing in that position, so I’m now not so sure of what’s going on, but I certainly don’t think Tilio is the answer either.
If it wasn’t common knowledge how much money we have saved up youd be forgiven for thinking we were skint! I think there must be something else going on behind the scenes we dont know about. Hoarding this amount of money and still cutting back is not normal
I don’t think the manager has any say whatsoever in relation to comings and goings, it can only end one way with him leaving.
Yang is unlikely to make it at Celtic. He has been unreliable and or posted missing in big games for us when he’s had his chance.
But we don’t need another hole to fill right now. The cart is before the horse with this club.
Was actually thinking about this last night. Why is it it’s always,, always players out before incomers? There will be times this happens naturally but it always seems out first with us. It also then leaves yoy very exposed if ur targets fall through and also feeds into us needing players in mort urgently and with us being cash flush we’re probably going to see premiums getting added on. I genuinely try and see it from the boards view as we are all absolutely sick to death about talking about this but I simply can’t see the sense in what they do
Yang, unfortunately is no better than Jonnie Doyle or John Colquhoun, and we won SFA with those. Balikwisha or similar is what we need to bring in. I agree we bring replacements in first before we get rid of the dross however.
Yang probably won’t make it as a first choice regular but he has been useful and would definitely need replaced. Remember when Brendan said the squad didnt need major surgery? Well it’s pretty serious minor surgery if not major. Lots of gaps to fill and we’re creating more.
I can’t see any sense in keeping Yang here before or after a replacement is sourced.
Surely to god this is well known to Brendan, the recruitment team and the board already, months ago. The cup final was the final nail in that debate. James Forrest is more impactful in spite of age, etc. Not that James Forrest, careful now.
If we don’t bring several wingers in before the week’s end then maybe the doom mongers will feel some justification, they may even be pleased but I hope not.
A solid defensive midfielder, or start moulding Engels for that, and a left sided centre back is a must for me. While we could probably then get away without a new left back with Scales, Inamura, etc, that too would be somewhat reassuring.
We fans need to see positive inward movement at the club and the sooner the better for all of us
He has been at Celtic long enough now with only some decent performances but was awful in the cup final.
I think he wants to leave and good riddance.
Celtic will sign another two wingers who are hopefully first team starters.
Again, if Brendan sees Yang as a “maybe” player then he’ll let him go for someone more consistent.
My problem with our transfer policy has never been about spending or not spending millions, it’s about the speed ( mainly lack of) and timing of it.
Those of us within the Celtic fanbase of an older vintage, have witnessed many seasons when we’ve failed to build on the success at that time, and instead of progress, we created regression.
Aside from all the complications involved in modern day transfer dealings, we just never seem to get the requisite signings in quick enough, and it does make a lot of our fanbase very nervous.
Looking at recent comments on here, I’ll be honest and say I don’t believe I’ve read many, or any, posting about us spending £70million.
I still hope that BR will sign a new contract, and is hopefully overseeing the future, as we speak.
However none of us know and can only speculate what is ahead.
If we can get 2-3 quality signings, in the positions that require cover, then we can look forward to a good season.
Many twists and turns ahead, and everyone is entitled to their opinion on here.
Whatever that may be, we all want the very best, and continued success for our club! HH
I thought there was some improvement last season however not enough to indicate he can be relied on. Taking away his performance in the cup final which was abysmal I’d have no issues with him going. Keeping a squad player who sometimes turns up isn’t a concern
Hes not good enough. He never will be good enough. It’s this type of mediocrity that we need to rid the club of if we want genuine progression. We also need to get shot of Kwon, Scales, Holm, Palma, Welsh, Tillio, Kenny and it’s a big season for Trusty.
It’s a no from me as well regarding Yang !