Josip Juranovic had "several offers" on the table before deciding on Celtic move

By David Walton

May 24, 2022

Celtic defender Josip Juranovic has confirmed that he had “several offers” on the table before deciding to move to Parkhead from Legia Warsaw.

The Hoops wrapped up a £2.5m deal for the right-back last summer as they looked to step up the rebuild under Ange Postecoglou [Sky Sports]. The move came only a year after he signed for Legia from Hajduk Split.

Since then, he’s managed to grow his stock with impressive performances both domestically and in Europe for the Hoops. He’ll now be preparing for his first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign too and has also managed to cement his place with the Croatian national team.

And speaking about his move from Legia to Celtic in an interview with TVP Sport, Juranovic confirmed he could’ve moved elsewhere last summer:

“There were several offers on the table. I chose Celtic because I thought it would be the best step in Ekstraklasa for me and I am happy to be here.

“A good offer came, the club accepted it, at the same time I agreed to move to Celtic. Everything was done with mutual respect. I do not know how much Legia finally got for me, three million euros? They bought me for something like four hundred thousand euros, so it was a good deal for both parties. 

“It was a big step in my career and Legia could earn a lot of money. I was sorry to be leaving, especially after a goal I scored in the first match against Slavia [in Europa League qualofying]. But in the end, Legia was promoted to the Europa League group and I was very happy about it.”

Josip Juranovic made the right decision as Celtic move pays off

Juranovic is already being taken to new heights with Celtic as he prepares for the UCL group stages next season.

The right-back did actually feature in Champions League qualifiers with Legia. However, he never managed to go as far as the group stages of the competition. Something that’s bound to have him excited heading into the summer.

Achieving the Champions League goal this season has certainly allowed Celtic to breathe easier when it comes to keeping the squad together. Why on earth would anyone want to leave as things stand? The hard work has been done in terms of qualifying. Surely, all players will now want to actually reap the rewards of their efforts this year.

Josip deserves the opportunity to play at Europe’s top level. He’s certainly good enough for it and knows exactly the level required given his international experience with Croatia.

He was a regular at Euro 2020 for his home nation and will likely play a huge role for them in Qatar at the end of the year as the World Cup closes in. There’s plenty to be excited about for Josip as an individual.

No doubt he knows in his own mind that he 100% made the best decision in coming here.

In other news, Nir Bitton tells Israeli media about Celtic teammate’s “crazy” contribution