Celtic are ready to make an ASAP move to sign the 45-capped World Cup star

Now that Martin O’Neill is locked in as Celtic manager for the next 12 months, the experienced manager can start bringing in his new signings in the transfer window.

The Northern Irish coach must be aiming to add attacking quality to the squad after it took until the final day for the Hoops to secure the Scottish Premiership title last season.

One of the players who could be in danger of being replaced by a better option at the end of the pitch is South Korean striker Hyun-jun Yang.

The 24-year-old star, currently in the World Cup, finished the 2025/26 campaign with nine goals and one assist in 38 games in the Premiership and Europa League combined.

He didn’t register a single assist in the top flight until their 3-2 win over Motherwell in May, and he hasn’t consistently delivered as an attacking force for the Scottish giants.

Celtic will continue to sign for the World Cup

Yang isn’t a bad player by any means, as he has produced double figures in goal contributions across all competitions, but the Hoops should be looking for more consistency from their attacking starters.

Now, the Premiership champions are reportedly eyeing a deal for the star who could land at Parkhead as a better option than the South Korean right-back.

According to Football Insider, Celtic are preparing to step up efforts to sign Motherwell striker Elijah Just in the summer transfer window.

The report claims the Hoops are ready to step up their interest in the 45-capped New Zealand international to make an immediate move, following his impressive World Cup performances for his country.

It also added that the left-footed star is at the top of O’Neill’s summer target list, as he is a player they believe has the ability to improve their side.

However, Football Insider reveals that Rangers are also interested in the World Cup star and that other teams are expected to enter the race for the attacker, who was given a price tag of £3m earlier this month.

How could Elijah be better than Celtic’s Hyun-jun Yang

The Hoops must push to win the race to sign the Motherwell star in the coming weeks as he will improve O’Neill’s options at the other end of the pitch ahead of next season.

As mentioned above, Yang has not delivered consistently, especially as a creative threat on the right, and Celtic should look for more quality in that position on the right wing.

Just’s form at Motherwell in the Premiership, in a team that finished three places below Celtic in this division, suggests he could contribute more to the team at the other end of the pitch.

Both brought in the same amount of goals compared to their xG numbers, but the Motherwell star was more prolific for his side on the wing, providing seven times as many assists.

He just proved that he can score and create goals regularly in the Premiership with his return of 14 goals in this division, more than Yang has managed in his three seasons in Scotland so far.

On top of his impressive form in Scotland’s top flight, the 26-year-old also scored twice for New Zealand against Iran at the World Cup earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Yang has yet to start a game for South Korea in the World Cup, let alone register a goal or assist, which shows that the Motherwell star has been very active on the world’s biggest stage.

Therefore, Celtic can improve their squad by signing Just to replace Yang as the starting right winger for O’Neill, because he has the attacking quality to win the team more games with his goals and assists in the Premiership.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place on the team for Yang moving forward, though, as he can be a valuable rotation option and occasional starter, as he’s shown he can provide quality in the light.