Celtic boss shuts down rumours linking Josip Juranovic to Chelsea
Speaking to the press, as quoted by FootballScotland, Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has shut down any speculation that linked Croatia right-back Josip Juranovic to clubs, including Chelsea.
A few days ago, it was reported in Football.London Chelsea are among the clubs interested in signing Juranovic in the coming transfer windows.
The fullback had an excellent World Cup for Croatia, where they finished third, beating the favourites Brazil in the quarter-final in doing so. Juranovic was probably his nation’s best player against the South Americans.
Here’s what the Celtic boss said when asked about the transfer speculations (h/t FootballScotland):
“Josip’s not back yet. He had a great World Cup. Absolutely, he had a great World Cup, he was brilliant. Credit to him. He’s got something now that he’ll have forever.
“As I keep saying to people, what I see is what’s before me every day here at training. If there’s an issue or players have things put in front of them about their future, I’m sure they’ll come and see me and Michael (Nicholson, CEO) will speak to their representatives.
“But right now, there’s nothing. Zero. Zip. Nada. Nothing going on.”
Chelsea have been interested in signing Inter Milan wing-back Denzel Dumfries as they feel the need to support Reece James in that right-back/right wing-back position. It is because the club is worried at the number of injuries the Englishman has picked up in the last 12 months.
Juranovic has a contract with Celtic until the summer of 2026 (Transfermarkt). So, one can imagine that the Scottish giants are under no pressure to sell him as soon as possible.
With regard to the positions he can play, the 27-year-old is obviously a right-back by choice, but is able to play as a wing-back and a left-back.
The Croat is a speed merchant of some sort. He can cover the ground on the right-hand side in no time. If you haven’t seen him play before, the Brazil game is a sample size enough to determine how quick he is. He is also good at crossing in the box, making defensive recoveries and dealing with wingers one-on-one.
More Chelsea News:
- Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana picked up an injury during the friendly vs Brentford
- Benfica join Chelsea and other English clubs in race to sign MLS striker Jhon Duran
- Transfer News: Chelsea eyeing Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez in January
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will push for a move to sign a player to back James up. Both Dumfries and Juranovic had excellent World Cups to continue their good work in club football. We would ideally want one of them to come in.
