Celtic have enjoyed a positive January transfer window but one major blow for them was seeing Josip Juranovic leaving the club. He had been a starter for Ange Postecoglou’s side since he arrived at Parkhead in the summer of 2021 from Legia Warsaw. And it is safe to say that he played a key part in the Hoops’ triumphs over the past 18 months.
Rumours had suggested though that he had failed to agree a contract extension with Celtic, and after a superb World Cup campaign as well, a Parkhead exit became inevitable.
Juranovic was linked with clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and several others in the January transfer window, but ultimately ended up joining Union Berlin, where he has enjoyed a great start.
While Juranovic might have remained at Celtic for only 18 months, he had become a fan favourite during that period of time. And it is pretty clear that he has fond memories of his time playing for the Hoops. As reported by The Herald, the Croatian international said:
"“But leaving Celtic was very difficult for me. I met so many good people there, so many friends who will remain my friends for the rest of my life.“Sometimes I wonder if I was only there for 18 months because that time flew by.“Celtic is a world institution, such a big club, a club that the fans adore so much. I shudder when I think about the 60,000 fans at every home game.“Those derbies against Rangers are a special experience and you immediately understand why it is one of the biggest games that exist in the football world.“At Celtic, the players respected each other. In Scotland, the football was hard, but fair.“Celtic is a special way of life and I will remember those 18 months for the rest of my life.”"
Juranovic makes beautiful claim about his time as a Celtic player
It goes without saying that Celtic will have a tough time replacing someone as good as Juranovic. The club have signed Alistair Johnston recently though, and the Canadian international has looked very good in his first few appearances for the club.
On the other hand, while Union Berlin might not be one of the biggest names in Europe, they do seem to be making a Bundesliga challenge this season. They sit at 2nd in the table, just a point behind Bayern Munich at this point of time.
We can only wish Juranovic the best moving forward and wish he has all the success in the world at Union Berlin. While his time at Celtic Park might not have been the longest, it was certainly very impactful and he will be remembered by the fans for a long time to come.