- Minnesota interested in South Korea star
- Loons have submitted bid, face competition from Celtic
- Cho rose to prominence at World Cup
WHAT'S HAPPENING? The Loons are one of several clubs interested in the 24-year-old attacker, who currently plays for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in his country's top tier. Internationally, he's scored six goals in 20 caps for South Korea, including two goals against Ghana at the World Cup this fall.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Minnesota isn't the only team pursuing Cho, though, with a number of teams interested in signing the striker. Celtic are reportedly prepared to pay around $3.2 million (£3m) to acquire his services, while Mainz and Ferencvaros are also said to be interested. GOAL can confirm that Minnesota have officially submitted a bid to sign Cho, with MLSSoccer.com reporting that it's in the region of $5 million (£4.7 million).
AND WHAT'S MORE: Cho rose to prominence at the World Cup, where he became something of a cult hero on and off the field. In addition to his goals, which helped South Korea progress to the Round of 16, Cho saw his Instagram follower count skyrocket while in Qatar, partly due to a trend on social media about his appearance, but also thanks to a spat with Cristiano Ronaldo a group stage clash with Portugal.
STORY IN TWO PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MINNESOTA UNITED? After finishing sixth in the Western Conference in 2022, the Loons will kick off the MLS season on February 25 against FC Dallas.