Celtic midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng insists he knows nothing of stories linking him with a move to Arsenal.
The 23-year-old, labelled South Korea’s answer to Steven Gerrard in his homeland, has been the outstanding performer as his side surpassed expectations to win bronze at the London Games.
Reports this week had suggested the Gunners were preparing a bid worth nine million pounds for the tireless playmaker, who is also believed to be the subject of interest from last season’s Europa League winners Atletico Madrid.
But, after producing another polished display to help his country see off bitter rivals Japan in a hotly contested third-place playoff at the Millennium Stadium on Friday, Ki revealed he was not aware of any interest.
“I’m not sure,” Ki told reporters. “I haven’t heard anything about that.
“I just need some rest now and spend some time with my family, and then I will think about my future.”
The Celtic star also said he was delighted to claim a victory which not only secures him and his team-mates an Olympic medal, but also grants them exemption from military service in South Korea.
“This is the happiest moment of my life,” Ki said. “We were very tired after the quarter-final, but our mentality to win the game was very strong.
“Normally we pressure in front of the centre circle, but we were tired tonight.
“We weren’t fresh enough to play that way, so we dropped down a little bit, but we still had quick players up front to hit them on the counter-attack.
“Military service was something we were all going to have to do, and we are all glad to avoid it, because it means we can play in Europe for longer. It was a big motivation, definitely.”
