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Genk's Oh Hyeon-gyu looks set to join Stuttgard on deadline day

Published: 01 Sep. 2025, 16:36

KRC Genk forward Oh Hyeon-gyu in action during a UEFA Europa League playoff against Lech Poznan in Genk, Belgium, on Aug. 28. [EPA/YONHAP]

KRC Genk forward Oh Hyeon-gyu looks set to join VfB Stuttgart on deadline day of the summer transfer window for a fee of around 20 million euros ($23 million).

German outlet Kicker reported on Sunday that Stuttgart is finalizing a deal that runs through 2030. Florian Plettenberg, a journalist with Sky Sport Germany, also wrote on social media that it is a "done deal."

Claiming that Genk has sealed an agreement for 20 million euros plus add-ons, he wrote that the contract runs through 2030, with the 24-year-old undergoing a medical on deadline day.

Oh can continue his career uninterrupted as he finished his mandatory military service with the military club Gimcheon Sangmu in 2021.

He embarked on his European career by joining Celtic in January 2023. He spent an up-and-down 18-month spell with the Scottish club.

Oh scored seven goals in 21 appearances in the second half of the 2022-23 season and became then-manager Ange Postecoglou’s regular pick as a substitute for star striker Kyogo Furuhashi.

But his first full season at Parkhead looked very different. New manager Brendan Rodgers was less impressed by the Korean forward, dropping him out of the squad after the Asian Cup. He still finished the 2023-24 campaign with five goals in 20 league appearances, but managed just 29 minutes of league playing time in the second half of the season.

The forward joined Genk — technically Koninklijke Racing Club Genk — last July and finished his first campaign in Belgium with 12 goals and three assists across all competitions.

Oh's yet-to-be-announced move to Stuttgart gives him an opportunity to play in the UEFA Europa League this season, as the team booked a ticket by winning the DFB-Pokal last season.

The transfer follows Newcastle United's transfer of Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade for 69 million pounds ($93 million). Stuttgart then reportedly used part of that fee to bring in Oh.

Korean national team manager Hong Myung-bo also noted the impending transfer before departing for the United States on Monday for friendlies.

“Oh delayed joining the national team by a day. Something could happen in that time,” Hong told reporters.

The summer transfer window deadline is Monday. Stuttgart has yet to announce the signing as of press time Monday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK RIN [[email protected]]