Swansea City table bid for South Korean international wanted by Celtic | OneFootball

The Swans are said to have made contact with Gwangju FC about their playmaker's availability

Swansea City are said to have made contact with Gwangju FC about a potential deal for midfielder Eom Ji-Sung, according to reports from Korea.

Local outlet OSEN has stated that the Welsh side have tabled a $1 million bid for the 22-year-old, although his current side are said to be trying to hold out for a larger sum.

A creative playmaker with an eye for goal, with South Korean international has found the back of the net twice during the ongoing K League campaign, as well as setting up his teammates three times in his 15 appearances.

Reports in Scotland stated that Scottish Premiership champions Celtic were interested in a move for the playmaker last summer, but any potential move failed to materialise.

Swansea City tracking Gwangju creative midfielder Eom Ji-Sung

The report from OSEN goes on to say that Ji-Sung is keen for a move to Europe this summer, with the Swans hoping to give him an opportunity to flaunt his talents in the Championship.

With his tricky feet and quick-thinking in the final third, Ji-Sung looks to have plenty of potential if he were to make the move to England, and looks to be available for a cut-price fee.

It has previously been reported in Korea that Gwangju could be facing a transfer ban after overstating profits in its budget, which could lead to them unable to buy any players in the summer transfer window.

That situation could either play into the hands of Swansea this summer, or hinder them, with the club potentially wanting to keep hold of their homegrown talent due to restrictions, or willing to cash in on him to balance the books.

OSEN believes that the latter could be the most likely scenario, with the report stating that a source said: "Gwangju wants a high transfer fee for [Eom Ji-Sung] due to recent problems with the financial soundness system.

"However, [Eom Ji-Sung] is a youth player and has devoted himself so far, helping Gwangju advance to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, so he will advance to Europe.

“We are not hiding our will.”

The Swans are also said to be happy to include a sell-on clause for the midfielder, with the speedy young star said to have attracted interest from the MLS in the past.

Eom Ji-Sung can follow in Ki Sung-yueng’s footsteps with Swansea City transfer

If he does indeed make the move to Wales, Ji-Sung won’t be the first Korean superstar to make an impact for the Jacks in recent history, with Ki Sung-yueng [pictured] still a cult figure at the club to this day.

The talented midfielder was a regular presence in the City engine room during their time in the Premier League, and spent six years at the club between the years of 2012 and 2018.

The 110-cap international featured over 150 times for Swansea during that time, scoring 12 goals and assisting a further seven, as well as being an intricate part of the possession-heavy side that graced the top flight in the last decade.

Sung-yueng is still plying his trade back in his homeland at 35 years of age, having scored twice for FC Seoul in his 16 league matches for the club this season.