---
title: "Celtic: Ki Sung-yueng wanted by Neil Lennon in January"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-ki-sung-yueng-wanted-by-neil-lennon-in-january/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "SPFL News"
published: "2019-12-25T10:00:45Z"
modified: "2019-12-25T10:00:45Z"
---

# Celtic: Ki Sung-yueng wanted by Neil Lennon in January

**Celtic manager Neil Lennon is plotting a move for a former Hoops midfielder currently out of favour at an English Premier League club – and it isn’t Victor Wanyama.**

The Scottish champions had shown an interest in bringing the Kenyan back to Parkhead in January, as reported by [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/nov/19/football-rumours-julian-nagelsmann-to-replace-pochettino-at-spurs?CMP=share_btn_tw) last month, but [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/celtic-facing-major-blow-as-bundesliga-club-line-up-midfielder-offer/) claimed last week that Celtic might not be willing to adjust their wage structure to bring in a player earning £65,000-a-week at Tottenham, where has played just [four times this season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/victor-wanyama/leistungsdaten/spieler/77760).

According to a report from [Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/celtic-plot-move-to-sign-newcastle-star-out-of-contract-in-2020/), Lennon has identified Newcastle midfielder Ki Sung-yueng as a transfer target for January, with the South Korea midfielder in the final few months of his contract at St James’ Park.

[Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/celtic-plot-move-to-sign-newcastle-star-out-of-contract-in-2020/) added that Lennon is a “huge admirer” of the Korean, with [the same outlet](https://www.footballinsider247.com/bruce-green-lights-newcastle-united-january-exit/) claiming that the Magpies are willing to entertain offers for him in the January transfer window.

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/THE-BREAKDOWN.png)

Ki played [77 times for Celtic during Lennon’s first spell in charge](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sung-yong-ki/leistungsdatentrainer/spieler/81796/plus/0/verein/371/trainer_id/6266) and made [87 appearances in total](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sung-yong-ki/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/81796) for the Hoops, [scoring 11 goals and supplying 15 assists](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sung-yong-ki/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/81796).

However, the 30-year-old defensive midfielder has been shunted to the periphery at Newcastle under Steve Bruce, making just three appearances all season and not even featuring in a matchday squad since the 5-0 drubbing by Leicester almost three months ago. \[[via TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sung-yong-ki/leistungsdaten/spieler/81796)\]

Ki’s statistics would suggest that he is a player in decline. In the 2014/15 season for Swansea, he scored eight league goals, averaged 0.8 shots per match, won 1.4 tackles per game and had an 89.8% passing success rate. \[[via WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/42916/History/Ki-Sung-Yueng)\]

Last season at Newcastle, he did not score at all and had match averages of 0.8 successful tackles and 0.5 shots, along with a lower passing success rate of 85.1%. \[[via WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/42916/History/Ki-Sung-Yueng)\]

If he were to return to Celtic, he would be competing with [captain Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/kadernachposition/verein/371) in the defensive/central midfield sector of the team.

Both Brown and Ntcham have been enjoying solid campaigns at Parkhead, with [four and five goals respectively this term](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/celtic-glasgow/leistungsdaten/verein/371), and the former has also distinguished himself by winning [2.6 tackles per game](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/8331/Show/Scott-Brown).

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Verdict.png)

Having [taken Fraser Forster on loan for the season](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49433217) and expressed an interest in Wanyama (as per [Daily Record](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/neil-lennon-makes-victor-wanyama-20972815)), Lennon’s desire to sign Ki in January continues the theme of his leanings towards ex-Celtic players from his first spell in charge at Parkhead.

While the return of Forster has worked out magnificently (just [14 goals conceded in 23 games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fraser-forster/leistungsdaten/spieler/52570)), Ki looks a shadow of the player who was thriving in the middle of this decade and, with the likes of Brown and Ntcham impressing this season, the Korean would quite likely be a squad player at best if he goes to Celtic in January.

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