Suwon insist no bids yet but Taggart could leave

Suwon Bluewings insist they have received no offers for star striker Adam Taggart and the South Korean giants have warned that it will take a special bid if the K League 1 golden boot winner is to be sold to Japan or China.

The Australian international scored 20 goals in his first season in Asia’s oldest professional league and has turned heads in the region.

Reports in Australia have suggested that at least two Japanese teams are interested in the 26-year-old and there are also teams in China monitoring the situation.

Taggart’s comments on The World Game on Thursday where he played down the Japanese interest were widely reported in South Korea and Suwon are hopeful of keeping hold of the hotshot.

“There have been no official bids made yet,” a Suwon official told The World Game.

“His contract with us runs until next year and we want him to stay. He is a vital member of the team and was the top scorer in the whole league. He has settled in really well and we want our best players to stay.”

Despite those sentiments, top K League 1 clubs have lost talent to richer teams from Japan, and increasingly China in recent years.

The official did admit however that a transfer is not impossible though rumours of a (AUD) $3 million bid may not be enough. 

“Even if both player and club are happy with the situation, we know in football that offers of a very high salary and a very high transfer fee can make both reconsider their positions.”

Taggart signed for Suwon, two-time Asian champions, in February and was the star of a team that finished in the bottom half of the K League 1 though a Korea FA Cup win salvaged the season and also earned a place in the 2020 AFC Champions League.