According to Italian website Tuttomercatoweb, Manchester United are interested in signing Celtic defender Josip Juranovic this month.
The 27-year-old was one of the stars for Croatia at the 2022 World Cup and he is now preparing for a transfer away from Parkhead. Tuttomercatoweb claim that Torino and Monza have made contact to sign him but the biggest interest is from Man United.
The report adds that the right-back is waiting for a mid-season move to Old Trafford. United have asked him to stay patient for a few more days as they look to offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka and make space for him in their squad this month.
Quality
United currently have Diogo Dalot as the first-choice right-back option. Wan-Bissaka has been playing second fiddle to him for most of the season and could be heading for an exit soon with the club’s reported interest in Juranovic.
The Croatian could be available for just £7 million, according to The Scottish Sun. If United can sign him for the same figure, he would represent big value for money and could also be seen as a strong competitor to Dalot in the right-back spot.
Wan-Bissaka has not provided sufficient competition to Dalot for the last 12 months but it could be different with Juranovic, who is an attacking full-back. He has the knack for making regular overlapping runs which is what the manager prefers.
A transfer now depends on how quickly United can part ways with Wan-Bissaka. The 25-year-old has plenty of suitors despite his limited first-team football. Wolverhampton Wanderers want to sign him, but former club Crystal Palace are also keen.
United have had a progressive campaign under manager Erik ten Hag and they are currently looking to improve their squad depth for the season run-in. The club are already in the Premier League top four and will be aiming to strengthen their position.
The upcoming fixtures against Manchester City and Arsenal should provide a firm challenge for them. They have won their last eight games in all competitions but have benefitted from a winnable schedule that has included several bottom-half teams.
