The decision – or rather the failure – not to replace Kyogo Furuhashi in the January window may still rankle with those of a Celtic persuasion, yet the lack of a new centre-forward should not take away from an otherwise solid month or so in the market for the Hoops.
Having now confirmed that Kieran Tierney is set to make the move back to Glasgow on a free transfer this summer, the Scotland star will follow in the footsteps of man of the moment, Jota, in making an emotional return to Parkhead.
It is still early days in the Portuguese’s second spell at the club, yet all the signs point to the £8m addition picking up where he left off, having already scored two goals and provided one assist from just three Premiership outings.
The 25-year-old’s latest stunning effort against Dundee United also saw manager Brendan Rodgers dish out praise for another new man, Jeffrey Schlupp, having highlighted the Ghanaian’s “really good run” that made space for Jota to surge into.
Quietly, the on-loan Crystal Palace man – who hit the post from range against the Tangerines – is making quite the impression following his surprise deadline day switch, having more than staked his claim to replace Greg Taylor as Rodgers’ starting left-back.
Greg Taylor’s future at Celtic
The last-gasp capture of Schlupp has only served to heighten the scrutiny surrounding the long-serving Taylor, with the former Kilmarnock man facing an uncertain future at Celtic Park amid his expiring contract.
The 27-year-old is yet to pen fresh terms despite the fact that his current deal runs out at the end of the season, with the Old Firm giants running the risk of letting their £3m signing depart for nothing.
That inability to recoup a fee for the 14-cap Scotland international would be eased by the impending arrival of his compatriot, Tierney, although it may still sting considering Taylor does seemingly boast a solid market value.
Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, the experienced defender is deemed to be worth around €7m (£6m), even amid his current contract situation, with the club perhaps left to regret not cashing in sooner, be it in January or last summer.
Interestingly, that £6m valuation for the reported Dinamo Zagreb target actually places Taylor above one of his former teammates, with fellow full-back, Josip Juranovic, having seen his value tumble since leaving Scotland.
Josip Juranovic’s current market value
As has been evident with the sales of Jota, Matt O’Riley and Kyogo in recent times, Celtic have no doubt improved with regard to their ability to rake in notable fees for their prized assets of late.
That was no doubt the case with regard to the departure of that man Juranovic, with Ange Postecoglou and co able to rake in a handsome profit on their initial £2.5m investment.
Speaking at the time of the right-back’s arrival in Glasgow back in the summer of 2021, Postecoglou was evidently pleased to have got the Croatian in the door, having told the club’s official website:
“We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Josip to the Club and we are sure he will be a great addition to the squad. As I have said before, everyone at the club has been working hard to add to our squad and we have made good progress. I am really pleased to bring Josip in to support the rest of the boys.
“We have so many challenges ahead of us and Josip will add important quality and depth. I am really looking forward to working with him.”
The Zagreb native went on to enjoy a fruitful stint in green and white prior to departing in the 2023 January window, having racked up six goals and three assists in 53 games in all competitions.
Comfortable operating at left-back or right-back, the now 29-year-old also shone on the international stage at the 2022 World Cup, with Postecoglou praising the defender for putting in “strong performances against world-class opponents“.
As it proved, his role in Croatia’s surge to the semi-final resulted in a £10m switch to Union Berlin just a few weeks later, with Celtic having already been one step ahead after getting Alistair Johnston in the door from Montreal.
Since then, Johnston has gone on to far exceed Juranovic’s impact at the club, with the Canadian – who cost just £3.5m – already boasting 23 goals and assists in 97 appearances across all fronts.
Described as “a definite upgrade” on Juranovic by former Celtic hero, Stiliyan Petrov, Johnston has made those at Parkhead swiftly forget all about his predecessor. As for the Berlin man, he does boast four goals and six assists in 53 games for his current side, although has seen his value fall to just €6m (£5m), thus below even that of Taylor’s.
As such, the case of Juranovic not only shows the benefit of cashing in at the right time, but also in having already acquired an adequate replacement to fill the void, prior to sanctioning a sale.
There may be those wishing that a similar process had been repeated with regard to Kyogo…
