I, like so many others of a Celtic persuasion, will have been rather perplexed today to learn that Josip Juranovic is most likely going to be leaving the Hoops soon for a move to Serie A side Monza. It comes as a lightening bolt out of the blue that nobody could have predicted without the use of a crystal ball. Having said that, even that would have been a push.
At £7 million the touted fee, as our Editor alluded to earlier; it’s a considerable amount of green lower than anyone would have imagined. The player played a starring role in his country’s run to a World Cup Semi-final this year merely a few weeks ago. He forced Real Madrid and Brazil star, Vinicius Junior out of the game in the Quarter-final game too and had pundits raving about his ability non-stop in Qatar.
This deal makes zero sense. Especially so, when you factor in that it’s a loan deal with an option-to-buy included for Monza IF they avoid relegation from Italy’s top flight. It seems like it’s daylight robbery from Berlusconi on this one and has left myself and many others betwixt and between at the reports. That swindled feeling is beginning to make a home deep in the gut region at present – that is undeniable.
On the contrary, let’s take a minute to think about this and digest it a bit. A plausible explanation could be that there has been a sea-change in policy when it comes to recruitment and wantaway stars in particular at Celtic Park. Having saw our Ten-in-a-row dream go up in smoke a couple of years back, largely due to stars who had their heads elsewhere, could it be it is a collective reset within the club?
Juranovic stories have been filling the media and newspapers for months now and his agent has been running off at the mouth too. Giakoumakis is exactly the same. He’s another who is primed for the exit door and Ange Postecoglou mentioned this weekend after the Kilmarnock game that he “never falls in love” with his players anywhere he goes.
So, could it just be possible that Ange and Michael Nicholson are cutting ties before anything builds or snowballs with both these players? It’s an interesting supposition to make at this current juncture. Why else would we be selling a player like Juranovic for that kind of fee? Is Ange ready to clear the decks of anybody who is not willing to get with the programme and contribute to the collective good of Celtic Football Club?
It could be a possibility considering the facts we are presented with today and these stories about our right-back and striker. Is this the ruthlessness that Ange has so often spoken about and insisted might make the supporters uneasy and even wince?
Well if it is, it’s certainly working Mr Postecoglou!
Paul Gillespie
I definitely believe if they don’t to play for us then let them go. Johnson looks like he can moulded into a very capable replacement and Ralston there too.
What about joey dawson getting on the bench for Saturday semifinal? He’s scoring for fun and for once we have a young player who’s built like a man
Let them go .. & as Kris Commons has said, let them see what life is like at feckin Monza & the J League. Lettnem come back doon tae earth & realise they’re not as good (or irreplacable) as they thought. Personally could think of only about 2/3 games where JJ played THAT well.
Get out clause 7million,but a wouldnt give him out loan.⁹
Bassey goes for £21million and is not as good as juranovic .Rangers hold out for good money get a grip Celtic.
I agree, Johnson looks a better player and after Juranovic’s performance against therangers then no way are we going to get much more that what is being touted. He was pish, and all potential clubs looking at him would have seen that game and seen that for themselves.
I have to agree and those who thought we would get more than this are in cloud-cuckoo land, joining the zombie fans of Anger FC.
We’ve had Juranovic for a season, and we will make a profit from him and avoid any fall out. Ange has said that he wants players committed to the cause. They will learn that the grass is not greener.
However, they are getting on in years and this may be a chance for them to get a bigger pay cheque. Juranovic has been replaced by what I think will turn out to be a much better team player. It might turn out the same for Giacomakis, who has done well but lacks the play time he should be getting.
In other words, we are gradually improving the quality whilst making a profit.
To be fair to Jura (and others in the team) they were suffering from a bug that had raged through the squad. That excuses his less than stellar performance against the hun.
As for the fee, there is not a hope in hell that we’d accept that amount for a player under contract to 2026. It just isn’t going to happen (especially now that Lawwell is back in the building). We also have a sell on to pay to Legia so our profit on this would be what £3.5m???
Not a chance