Celtic Flop Joins Ki Sung-yueng in Surprise FC Seoul Switch

Patryk Klimala has taken the next step in his well-travelled career, signing for K League 1 side FC Seoul. The move sees the former Celtic striker join a squad featuring a couple of recognisable faces.

In Seoul, Klimala will team up with Jesse Lingard, who now captains the side after his stint at Nottingham Forest, and Ki Sung-yueng, a fan favourite who previously spent time at Celtic and has clocked up over 200 appearances across two spells for Seoul.

Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v Hamilton – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – August 2, 2020 Celtic’s Patryk Klimala comes on as a substitute to replace Odsonne Edouard, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pool via REUTERS/Andrew Milligan

The 26-year-old heads to Asia off the back of a productive loan spell at Sydney FC, where he found form again with 17 goals in 31 games. That run came alongside some well-known names, including former Brazil winger Douglas Costa.

Before moving to Australia, Klimala returned to his boyhood club Śląsk Wrocław, though his time back in Poland proved underwhelming. He struggled to make an impact, featuring mainly for their second team without scoring or securing a regular place in the senior squad.

His most consistent spell post-Celtic came in Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls, where he found the net 14 times across 61 appearances. It wasn’t until a move to Sydney FC for the 2024/25 season that he rediscovered his scoring touch, bagging 17 goals in 31 outings alongside former Brazil winger Douglas Costa.

Ki Sung-yueng

Neil Lennon brought Klimala to Celtic in January 2020, during the disrupted conclusion to the 2019/20 campaign. Despite arriving with high expectations, the striker struggled to find his rhythm in Glasgow, managing only three goals from 28 appearances across all competitions before making the switch to New York Red Bulls in the summer of 2021.

His new challenge with FC Seoul marks the ninth club of his senior career, as he looks to finally carve out consistency in the K League.

Advertisement goes here

Advertisement goes here

Other stories

Celtic’s chaotic transfer window continues to come under heavy scrutiny, with

Celtic’s summer transfer window came to a frustrating and chaotic close,

Breaking news