The transfer factors that could see Josip Juranovic remain at Celtic

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Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou looks all set to add a third right-back to his Hoops squad, with Alistair Johnston’s move to Parkhead edging closer.

The 24-year-old, who has been involved at the Qatar World Cup with Canada, has been heavily linked with a move to Glasgow over the last week.

And a fee in the region of £3 million appears to have been agreed between Celtic and Montreal FC as Postecoglou closes in on his second signing of the January window.

On Sunday afternoon, Celtic supporters tuned in to catch the right-back in action for his nation as they took on Croatia.

Of course, there was a current member of the Celtic squad involved in that game, too, as Josip Juranovic kept his starting role at the right side of the back four.

It was an extremely interesting match-up for the Bhoys supporters to tune into, with Johnston being considered the replacement for Juranovic.

The 27-year-old, who has only been at Parkhead for around 18 months, has already been linked with moves away from the club, and after failed contract talks, many expect that we could see him depart in the January window.

In the end, Juranovic and Croatia were able to come out on top, taking top spot in Group F after two games. And the Celtic man was able to provide an assist for one of his nation’s four goals in their emphatic victory over Canada.

Celtic fans may already see Juranovic out the door in January, but that may not be the case until the summer.

For some fans, it may have been a slightly disappointing start to the season for Juranovic by his high standards, but against Canada, he showcased why he could be a wanted man in the transfer market.

Reports and speculation suggesting that Alistair Johnston could be close to joining the Hoops have led to many all but writing off the fact that Juranovic will remain at Parkhead past the January window.

However, there is still a possibility that the Croatian international is a Celtic player going into the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.

Juranovic’s current deal at Parkhead runs until the summer of 2026, so the Bhoys are in no hurry to sell the player in terms of losing value due to his contract status.

Of course, a strong showing in Qatar would make an exit more likely in the winter window. However, notoriously, January is a tough time to shop for players and the move Juranovic desires may not arrive in two months’ time.

At his age, you would imagine the defender is keen to continue playing as much football as possible, whilst several clubs may only be shopping for backup options in the January window.

Although initial contract talks with the Hoops hierarchy did fail, that doesn’t confirm that the right-back will definitely be out of the door.

According to a report from the Daily Record, although Juranovic is keen to assess his options in January, it is also understood that he is in no hurry to leave Glasgow.

So, with all of this considered, we could yet see him remain in Glasgow past the January window, with an exit in the summer transfer window then likely to take place.

This would allow Johnston a period of time to settle into life as a Celtic player before taking up the position alongside Anthony Ralston going into next season.

Of course, we aren’t naive. There is still a likelihood that an offer comes in for Juranovic, and he departs in the winter window, with Johnston being his replacement right away.

However, there is still a slight chance we see him remain until the summer, despite many supporters already writing off that possibility.

Ultimately, the right offer must first arrive for the player, with Celtic still holding all the cards.

In other news, “Bright future”; Former Ange assistant provides fascinating insight into new Celtic recruit.