Birmingham City set to 'beat' Sunderland to transfer of World Cup star

Birmingham City are ‘set ‘to make their second signing of the January transfer window, according to a report. 

South Korea international Park Seung-ho is set to join according to reports from abroad. According to Asian outlet Sports Donga Seung-Ho has received offers from Sunderland, as well as Ligue One and the Bundesliga, but will be moving to St Andrew’s instead. 

He is a 26-year-old that is capable of playing as a centre midfielder and as an attacking midfielder. Seung-ho was in the academy of Barcelona and later had spells with Paralda and later Girona. 

He played for Darmstadt 98 from 2019 to 2021 in the second division of German football. Since 2021, he’s been on the books of Korean outfit Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, having had to return for military service.

As the South Korean football season has ended, he is now a free agent and is expected to sign a two-and-a-half-year contract according to the report. He played 106 times for Jeonbuk and notched 11 goals and eight assists, and is free to join a new club without the need to pay a transfer fee.

He is a 15-time South Korea international and scored against Brazil in a Round of 16 match in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which would later nominated for Goal of the Tournament. Seung-ho has also won a Gold Medal at the Asian Games, captaining his side to victory in 2022.

Earlier this month, he was linked with a move to Chinee side Shandong Taishan but he dismissed the rumours. Paik has military exemption and so he is now free to return to Europe. His move to Birmingham could help reignite his international prospects having been left out of the squads since the appointment of former Spurs striker Jurgen Klinsmann.