In a recent interview with Give Me Sport, West Ham United have been tipped to land Celtic full-back Josip Juranovic by journalist Dean Jones. Jones said,
“I think he’d (Juranovic) be a really good replacement for Coufal if it comes to that situation. We’ll have to see how they decide to develop this squad in January.”
Juranovic’s Impressive Form In Scottish Football
Juranovic has enjoyed a solid campaign at the Glaswegian club as he has managed to give a good account of himself on the right side of their defence. The 27-year-old has registered one goal and one assist in 15 matches for the Scottish outfit this season in various competitions.
The Croatia international has been a reliable performer on the right flank based on his average of 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, 1.0 clearances, 1.0 shots, 1.6 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game in the Scottish Premiership. He has even been accurate when distributing the ball going forward, as evidenced by his pass completion rate in league football (stats via whoscored).
His current contract at Celtic will expire in 2026. Hence, it might be difficult for West Ham to lure him away to the London Stadium in January.
Should West Ham United Boss David Moyes Move In For Juranovic?
Juranovic is a good tackler of the ball and can make some important interceptions for his side inside his half. He doesn’t hesitate to put his foot through the ball when needed and can make some clever runs with the ball down the right flank. The Croat sensation has got the vision to orchestrate some promising chances for others around him and can shoot the ball with venom from long range. He is primarily a right-back but can also function as a right-sided wide player or as a left-back if his manager instructs him to do so.
Juranovic is good enough to serve as an ideal replacement for Vladimir Coufal, who has struggled to be consistent with his performances for West Ham this season.
At 27, Juranovic is about to enter his prime and could be a good addition to David Moyes‘ squad next year. We can expect him to bring more quality to the Hammers‘ backline and help them compete across all fronts in the coming seasons. Thus, Moyes should think about snapping him up in 2023.
However, only time will tell whether Juranovic can successfully adapt to life in Premier League football where he will be expected to perform at a high-level week in week out.
