Barcelona will reportedly go head-to-head with Atletico Madrid in the race to sign Josip Juranovic following his World Cup heroics.
According to a report by Tutto Mercato Web, Josip Juranovic is the subject of interest from Atletico Madrid. The 27-year-old Celtic defender, who reached the FIFA World Cup 2022 semi-finals with Croatia, is also a target for Barcelona.
Josip Juranovic has been one of the star performers at the FIFA World Cup 2022. And the Croat’s exploits have helped him capture the attention of some of Europe’s most high-profile clubs. So he has enjoyed a stunning rise to superstardom despite not featuring for a big-name team thus far in his career.
The 27-year-old joined Celtic last year and has been a pivotal figure for the Scottish giants since then. And Juranovic has enjoyed a solid 2022/23 season thus far, chipping in with one goal and one assist in 15 appearances thus far. Meanwhile, his performances have alerted European bigwigs like Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona will delve into the market for a right-back next year due to Hector Bellerin’s sub-par performances. The Spaniard joined the Blaugrana as an emergency signing in the summer but has not been convincing enough with his displays. So Bellerin will likely leave Barcelona next year, leaving a spot open for a replacement.
Several right-backs have thus popped up on Barcelona’s radar, with Juranovic also emerging as a target. But Barcelona will not be the only La Liga club vying for the Croat’s signature. And the Catalan giants face stiff competition from Atletico Madrid in the race to sign the 27-year-old.
Atletico Madrid might lose Nahuel Molina, with the Argentine international emerging on Chelsea’s radar after his exploits at the World Cup. So Juranovic is a viable candidate to replace Molina if the Argentine departs from Civitas Metropolitano. Meanwhile, several Premier League clubs have also shown interest in the 27-year-old.
As for the battle between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, neither club will have an advantage in the race to sign him. And it will be interesting to see where Juranovic decides to go if he joins one of the two La Liga outfits.
