Fabrizio Romano: Why Juranovic's Man Utd transfer collapsed

Updated: 3 Feb 2023 17:36 GMT
3 min read

Josip Juranovic in action for Union Berlin — © ProShots

Josip Juranovic left Celtic for Union Berlin in the recent winter window, but he was very nearly a Manchester United player according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano…

Juranovic raised a few eyebrows when he swapped Celtic for Union in a deal worth a potential €11.2 million late on in the January window, the Croatia right-back having also been linked with United and Barcelona among others.

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The right-back has hit the ground running in Germany, with two assists from his two appearances so far, while the Red Devils instead bolstered other areas of their team, signing striker Wout Weghorst and attacking midfielder Marcel Sabitzer.

READ: Man Utd interested in Croatia World Cup duo

But Juranovic to Man Utd had been more than just speculation according to Romano.

"Man Utd in November and December were looking for a new right-back with RB with Aaron Wan-Bissaka expected to leave," the Italian journalist said on his official YouTube channel.

Juranovic showing his worth already with an assist on the game winner. pic.twitter.com/2SdIpWxGrP
— CroatianSports (@CroatianSoccer) January 25, 2023

Romano: 'Wan-Bissaka did well'

"But Wan-Bissaka did very well in January so Man Utd decided to stay with him and to invest money [instead] on Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer.

"But with Man Utd we need to add one thing: they had a right-back in their hands, ready to be signed in case Wan-Bissaka was going to leave, and that player was Josip Juranovic."

READ: How Man Utd's 'emergency protocol' worked for Deadline Day transfer

Romano further asserts that Juranovic was top of United's shortlist of players to act as understudy to first-choice right-back Diogo Dalot, and that the club's board had already sanctioned the move.

Wan-Bissaka started five games in January with Dalot sidelined with a hamstring injury, impressing in Premier League wins over Manchester City and Bournemouth.

The former Crystal Palace man - who joined in a £50m deal in June 2019 - still has another year to run on his existing deal, which has a club option to add another in the summer of 2024.