Jackie Dziekanowski believes new Celtic signing Josip Juranovic is worth three times what Ange Postecoglou’s side paid Legia Warsaw for the defender, via the Daily Record.
The Hoops announced Juranovic’s arrival in Glasgow over the weekend for £2.5m to solve Postecoglou’s search for a full-back. The Croatian joins the Premiership giants after just a year in Poland with Legia, where he offered 10 assists and two goals in 41 appearances.
Juranovic provided one of his assists in the Champions League qualifying stages this term, before losing to Dinamo Zagreb. He then scored in a 2-2 first-leg draw with Slavia Prague as Legia turned their attention to the Europa League play-offs. But Militarians boss Czeslaw Michniewicz will have to look elsewhere for his wide-right creativity in the reverse fixture.
And Legia’s decision to sell Juranovic before the second-leg baffles former Celtic striker Dziekanowski. Who made the move to Parkhead from Legia Warsaw in 1989.
“I cannot come to terms with a couple of things here,” Dziekanowski said. “Why on earth did Legia not negotiate with Celtic so he could play against Slavia in the Europa League second-leg? If Juranovic was a player for Dinamo Zagreb, for example, Celtic would have paid a lot more for him – probably three times what they gave Legia for him.
“Legia achieved a great result in the away leg in the Czech Republic and they have a good chance of progressing, and then they do this? They have a very good chance of playing in the group stage of the Europa League. But now they are struggling for players.
“It would have been a nice way for Juranovic to say goodbye properly in what would have been a great occasion. But Legia have shot themselves in the foot.”
Should Celtic have let Juranovic have a Legia Warsaw farewell game?
From a Legia Warsaw standpoint, Dziekanowski is right to wonder why they let Celtic sign Juranovic before their second-leg tie. But as terms were agreed, Postecoglou had no reason to let the 26-year-old have a farewell appearance.
Celtic would have risked Juranovic sustaining an injury if they let him feature for Legia against Slavia Prague on Thursday. And had he sustained any issues, risked Postecoglou being without his signing but having used the funds for an alternative.
The Hoops could have pulled out of a deal if they had not finalised the move before facing Slavia Prague. But they could have wasted the week between agreeing terms and him featuring if Postecoglou then needed an alternative.
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