Chelsea battle Manchester United for Josip Juranovic

Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing Croatian full-back Josip Juranovic, valued at around £15 million by Celtic.

According to a report by 90 min, Josip Juranovic is a popular defender in the summer transfer window, with Chelsea and Manchester United looking to secure his services this month. Celtic will demand around £15 million to part ways with the Croatian full-back.

Josip Juranovic spent most of his formative years with Dubrava before graduating from the club’s academy nearly a decade ago. The 26-year-old first rose to prominence during his stint with Hajduk Split and earned his debut for the Croatian national side when he was representing the Masters from the Sea.

A short spell with Legia Warsaw followed before Juranovic joined Celtic last summer. And the Croat has been a regular for the Scottish giants, managing a solid tally of five goals and two assists in 37 appearances. He also earned a spot in the Scottish Premiership Team of the 2021/22 Season, with his exploits now capturing the attention of Chelsea and Manchester United.

Chelsea and Manchester United entered the summer transfer window, desperately scouring the market for a right-back. While the Blues were looking to find a replacement for Cesar Azpilicueta, the Red Devils were keen on signing an upgrade on Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Erik ten Hag unconvinced by the incumbent duo.

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Both Premier League clubs have shown interest in a few common targets, including Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries. In addition, Chelsea and Manchester United have also set their sights on other mutually exclusive candidates, with the latter keen on offloading Wan-Bissaka this summer.

The continued interest from Chelsea is surprising, considering Azpilicueta has snubbed Barcelona to sign a new contract with the west London club. But Thomas Tuchel might utilise the Chelsea captain exclusively as a right-side centre-back if the Blues fail to sign a central defender. Meanwhile, Manchester United will desperately look to bring in a right-back, with Juranovic a viable target for both clubs.

Celtic will demand around £15 million to part ways with the Croatian full-back, who has also popped up on Atletico Madrid’s radar. So with three European bigwigs hot on the 26-year-old’s heels, a summer departure might be on the cards for him. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea and Manchester United shell out £15 million to sign him from Celtic.

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