Celtic had an active August, completing several transfer deals both for new arrivals at Parkhead and players departing from Glasgow. Brendan Rodgers secured permanent signings of Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah, who were initially on loan during the 2023/24 season. This followed the earlier additions of Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo in July.
As the summer transfer window neared its close, the Hoops stepped up their activity by bringing in Alex Valle on loan from Barcelona, and finalizing deadline day signings of Arne Engels, Luke McCowan, and Auston Trusty.
Michael Johnston was one of the players allowed to leave Celtic permanently, signing with Championship club West Bromwich Albion. However, he wasn’t the only significant departure from Parkhead.
Danish midfielder Matt O’Riley also exited, joining Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League for a reported fee exceeding £25 million, setting a record transfer fee for both Celtic and Scottish football.
It will be intriguing to see if O’Riley thrives in England, like Virgil van Dijk, or if his value diminishes, similar to Gary Hooper.
Celtic executed a well-timed sale with versatile defender Josip Juranovic, following his standout performances in Scotland.
Celtic paid a reported £2.5 million for Juranovic in the summer of 2021, securing the right-back from Legia Warsaw on a five-year contract. The Croatian international made an immediate impact, delivering strong performances in both left-back and right-back roles. During the 2021/22 Scottish Premiership season, under Ange Postecoglou, Juranovic played 26 matches, helping Celtic achieve 11 clean sheets and winning 56% of his duels.
The talented defender also contributed three goals and one assist during his time in those matches. However, it was unfortunate that he only finished with one assist, as he created four ‘big chances’ and averaged 1.3 key passes per game, indicating that his teammates were often wasteful with their finishing.
In the second half of the 2022/23 campaign, Juranovic scored once and provided one assist across ten Premiership appearances under Ange Postecoglou.
In January 2023, after an impressive 18 months at Celtic, Bundesliga club Union Berlin signed the Croatian star for a reported fee of up to £10 million.
This highlights how Celtic struck gold with their £2.5 million signing of Josip Juranovic from Legia Warsaw, as his value surged during his time at Parkhead. Despite the defender spending less than two full seasons at the club, Celtic made a substantial profit when they sold him.
Celtic’s timing was impeccable, as Juranovic’s value has declined since his move to Union Berlin. His current market value, as of September 23, 2024, is €7.5 million (£6.3 million) according to Transfermarkt, marking a significant drop since his departure from the Hoops.
By selling him for up to £10 million, Celtic capitalized on his peak value, avoiding the risk of his worth diminishing during his stay at the club. They not only secured a strong return on their initial investment but also avoided his subsequent value drop, proving they cashed in at the perfect moment.
Since moving to Berlin, Juranovic has contributed two goals and four assists in the Bundesliga but has struggled with the physical demands of the German game. In the 2022/23 season, he lost 70% of his aerial duels, winning only 0.3 per match. This trend continued into the 2023/24 season, where he lost 57% of his aerial contests, managing just 0.1 wins per game, indicating that opponents have found it easy to beat him in the air.
Anticipating Juranovic’s potential departure, Celtic moved ahead of the January transfer window to sign Alistair Johnston from CF Montreal for a reported fee of £3.5 million. This has proven to be an excellent move.
As of September 23, 2024, Transfermarkt values the Canada international at €8.5 million (£7.1 million), meaning he is currently worth more than Juranovic. Johnston’s market value has significantly increased since his arrival at Parkhead, reflecting Celtic’s sharp business decision in securing his services.
On the pitch, Johnston’s performances have further justified his value, as he outperformed Juranovic’s first full Premiership season during his first full year at Celtic, following an initial five-month spell at the club before the 2023/24 season.
| Premiership | Juranovic – 21/22 | Johnston – 23/24 |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 26 | 32 |
| Big chances created | 4 | 11 |
| Assists | 1 | 5 |
| Tackles + interceptions per game | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Duel success rate | 56% | 58% |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As shown in the table, both Juranovic and Johnston provided similar defensive contributions, but Johnston was far more creative in attack, creating more than twice as many ‘big chances’ and registering five times as many assists, despite making just six more appearances.
Johnston has also started the current season brilliantly, scoring one goal and creating four ‘big chances’ in just five Premiership matches. If he maintains this form, his value could continue to rise.
Celtic should be extremely pleased with their decision to sell Juranovic for a substantial fee and invest £3.5 million in Johnston, as it has paid off exceptionally well both financially and in terms of on-pitch performance.
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