Celtic are in talks to sign Legia Warsaw defender Josip Juranovic but the chances of a £2.5 million deal are understood to be ‘50/50’ at this stage, according to Sportowe Fakty.
The importance of stability should not be underestimated.
When Mikael Lustig brought an end to his trophy-laden Celtic career after seven years and nearly 300 appearances in 2019, his departure didn’t exactly lead to an outpouring of grief on the streets of Glasgow.
Lustig, many thought, was no longer the same force of old, his exit at the age of 32 long overdue in the eyes of many.
But while there’s an element of truth to that, Celtic have found replacing the long-serving Swede far more difficult than they would have ever imagined.
Could Celtic solve their right-back problem with Josip Juranovic?
In the last two years, Jonjoe Kenny, Hatem Abd Elhamed, Manny Perez and Moritz Bauer have endured rather indifferent spells at Parkhead.
Jeremie Frimpong – by far the best of a rather limited lot – stayed for just 18 months before being lured away by the bright lights of Leverkusen.
In fact, since Lustig’s farewell, rarely has a transfer window gone by without Celtic trying to sign a new right-back. It has become something of a biannual tradition and this summer is no different.
Milan van Ewijk, Fabricio Bustos, Brandon Soppy, George Baldock, Valentin Rosier and Aurelio Buta have all been linked in recent weeks.
Josip Juranovic is the new name in the frame but, while Sky Sports believe the Croatia international would welcome a move to Glasgow, the finish line is not yet in sight.
According to claims originating from Juranovic’s Eastern European homeland, Celtic are indeed in talks with the 25-year-old.
But sources close to the deal say that the Legia Warsaw defender will not be heading to Scotland today, nor tomorrow or any time this week.
There is a long way to go before an agreement can be reached, with the chances of Juranovic becoming a Celtic player by the end of August rated at just ‘50/50’.
Does anyone still have Mikael Lustig’s number?
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