Josip Juranovic is one of the most wanted defenders in the European market and for the moment. The Croatian right-back is on the radar of several top continental teams, who are offering an extensive sum of money to Celtic in return for his freedom.
The Croatian star had one hell of a season. Not only did he develop into an indispensable part of Ange Postecoglou’s crew, but he became a regular member of the Croatian national team, one of the dark horses in Qatar according to the World Cup odds.
Various media stated that Atletico Madrid wants his services, and reportedly, the Hoops expect an offer of more than £15 million. Diego Simeone has to bring some fresh blood to Wanda Metropolitan, and it seems that Juranovic fits perfectly with his plans and tactics. He is a strong, versatile defender who knows to score, which is an ideal option for the Argentinian head coach. Juranovic played 53 games across all the competitions in 2021/22, scoring six goals and establishing himself as one of the key players in the team’s championship run.
Atletico didn’t respond after Celtics’ management put a price tag on Juranovic, probably hiding their intentions, not wanting to draw too much attention from other competitors. One of them was Leicester, who already expressed interest in Juranovic back in February. Therefore, the Spanish side isn’t willing to create an auction for the player.
Now, even though the Hoops’ management stated that the player won’t leave anywhere and that his presence at Celtic Park is needed, we still might see Juranovic leaving Scotland. The money involved in the deal could be very high for the Hoops, who had a busy summer transfer window but only in one direction.
Several players left the team, but none brought any money to the club’s account. On the other hand, four players signed deals with the Hoops, and they all created expenses.
Jota came from Benfica on a permanent deal, Camero Carter-Vickers arrived from Tottenham Spurs, Alexandro Bernabei from Lanus and Daizen Maeda from Yokohama FM.
All these transfers cost Celtic £18 million, meaning that Juranovic’s transfer would erase all those expenses and bring back the Hoops’ finances to the neutral ground, giving them a chance to strengthen their squad even further. His departure would be a big blow, but on the other side, the positive aspects of this transaction outweigh the minuses.
For instance, Jota is now Celtic’s player, and with 23 years, he has enough time and room for improvement, and we are more than sure that the Portuguese would bring twice as much money as he costs if he continues to play like he did last season. Other players who are on Postecoglu’s shortlist could arrive as well.
For instance, Edouard Michut from Paris Saint Germain is valued at £2 million. With Juranovic’s transfer, Postecoglou would almost certainly get the teenager. Mohammad Abu Fani and Fausto Vera are on the radar as well, with the offer for the latter one already being rejected this week as Argentinos Juniors want more money for their 2022 World Cup prospect. Celtic will make all these transfers possible if they sell Juranovic.
Postecoglou is on the move here. There are various speculations from the media about his plans. Still, when looking at the overall picture, it does sound logical to sacrifice one player to get a few others in return. Celtic’s roster would be stronger, and long-term, they would be able to earn even more money because some of these players could increase their worth at the upcoming World Cup soccer 2022.
The Hoops won the Scottish Premiership and automatically advanced to the UEFA Champions League. They failed to reach UCL last season and after the qualifiers, slipped to the UEFA Europa League, where they finished third in Group G and later lost to Bodo in the playoffs. Overall, the campaign has been evaluated as mediocre.
This year, Celtic Park will host the best European teams again, and the fans would like to see their favorites in much better shape than last year.
