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Daily Record
Sport
Liam Bryce

Josip Juranovic and the Celtic transfer factors dictating how much he would reasonably cost

It's an emotional rollercoaster, this transfer window business.

Celtic fans spent most of Monday on a high following widespread reports that a permanent transfer for Jota was on the brink of being officially announced. But that was followed by a claim that Josip Juranovic was "expected" to leave the club this summer.

That it came from Fabrizio Romano, probably the most famous name in football transfers these days, was enough to cast some gloom over supporters' Jota euphoria - at least until the claim was rubbished by media in the defender's homeland, who insisted he's settled in Glasgow and the Premiership champions rate him at £15million

It would certainly make sense that the 26-year-old is attracting interest, given how impressive a first campaign he had in Scotland, and Celtic fans have long known that selling key assets at the right time is a key facet of the club's business model.

Timing is, of course, key. Kieran Tierney and Moussa Dembele were cashed in on at the right moment while Odsonne Edouard was retained for too long in the end.

Juranovic, however, doesn't quite fit in either category at this moment.

Josip Juranovic (DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Here, Record Sport Online looks at the key reasons why selling the full-back this summer is either a non-starter or likely to command a considerable fee.

Age

At 26, whoever comes in for Juranovic would be acquiring a player in his prime.

Following his arrival from Legia Warsaw last summer, it quickly became clear Celtic had unearthed a hidden gem and one who will likely enjoy several more years at his peak.

Such readymade full-backs come at a premium in today's market, a fact not lost on either buyers or sellers.

Length of deal

Celtic have Juranovic tied down until 2026, putting them in about as strong a negotiating position as any club could hope for on the contract front.

It's a lesson Celtic appear to have learned since losing the likes of Edouard, Kristoffer Ajer and Ryan Christie for below market value, with the average length of deal in the squad shooting up over the past year.

A further four years on Juranovic's contract ensures Celtic are under no pressure to sell and can demand top dollar.

International pedigree

Juranovic has 20 Croatia caps and counting, not a bad return for a national team which reached the World Cup Final in 2018.

His importance to Zlatko Dalic's team is only growing, too, with the manager last week labelling him the "solution" to issues at left-back.

The Croatia boss said: “Both stoppers and Stanišić played very well (against France), but not only them but also Juranović at left back.

Josip Juranovic in action for Croatia during the Nations League clash with France (Getty Images)

“We don’t care anymore (about injuries at left-back). (Borna) Sosa and (Borna) Barišić are constantly injured, but I will not worry much about that anymore. We have Juranovic, we have a solution.

“Great praise for Juranovic and Brozovic because they played all the minutes in four games.

"They endured and ran. (Marcelo) Brozovic covered 13 kilometers in Copenhagen and was at a high level again.

"Juranović on both sides, wherever you put him is silent, works and plays. I have to appreciate that.”

Versatility

Juranovic's ability to slot in comfortably on both flanks is key to his emergence on the international stage and it's a quality that will only enhance his transfer value, too.

Such versatility is rare in an era of specialist operators, with even the world's very best tending to operate predominantly on one side of the pitch.

Juranovic is stronger on the right hand side but interested clubs would essentially be paying for a two-for-one option given how frequently he changed positions for Ange Postecoglou last season.

So, how much would he cost?

Croatian media report Celtic value Juranovic at £15m and that feels like a sound assessment.

They paid just £2.5m only a year ago but the club would be justified in demanding much more, given the reasons outlined above.

And that's before even considering the prices paid for full-backs in the Premier League.

Everton are believed to have forked out £17m for Vitaliy Mykolenko from Dinamo Kiev in January, who holds a similar international and European pedigree to Juranovic, albeit a few years younger.

For a different example, Celtic themselves were reportedly quoted £8m for 29-year-old George Baldock from Sheffield United last summer.

To put Juranovic at the higher end of those two figures seems reasonable, perhaps even modest.

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