Hyeok-kyu Kwon

Hyeok-kyu Kwon played 20 league matches in 2025-26, split between 12 appearances for Nantes and eight for Karlsruher after his February move. He did not score, which fits the profile of a central defensive midfielder whose value was more likely tied to structure and minutes than end product. For Celtic, his season was already elsewhere by the time the club won the Premiership and Scottish Cup.

Kwon's career path was unsettled after leaving Busan I'Park for Celtic in 2023. He had loan spells at St Mirren and Hibernian, then moved permanently to Nantes before joining Karlsruher in 2026. That six-club route pointed to a player still trying to establish a stable role in Europe rather than one who had progressed cleanly through a single first-team pathway.

Celtic paid an 860,000 fee to sign Kwon from Busan I'Park in July 2023, then loaned him to St Mirren and Hibernian before selling him to Nantes for 220,000 in July 2025. His next move, from Nantes to Karlsruher in February 2026, was undisclosed. The sequence suggested Celtic's initial investment did not turn into a sustained first-team role.